The Heart Leads The Way
by Assanee
Summary: A young girl finds a new home in Santoff Claussen and quickly becomes friends with Katherine. The story takes place after the battle at the earth's core and follows the storyline from Melissa's point of view up to the end of Book 4. Things go a bit differently however since even one child can make a huge difference. My first attempt at a story in English, so please have mercy :-)
1. Chapter 1

The Heart Leads the Way

When Melissa first arrived at Santoff Claussen it was with a strange and ominous feeling of foreboding. While the other children she had traveled with admired the enormous trees surrounding the village, greeted the bear of whom they had heard so many wonderful stories and gaped at the beautiful Spirit of the forest, she remained at the back of the group, watching every sight and listening to every sound, always wary and vigilant.

"Completely paranoid, this one" she had heard the father huff on occasion.

The mother however was more understanding. "Give her a break. She's lost everything! Just imagine what the child has been through, it is only natural that she is afraid!"

The other children called her the scaredy cat or even the freak when they talked about her to each other, and sometimes also when they where talking to her, which didn't happen too often. The fact that she could not speak up made them nervous and they usually avoided her.

But Melissa was not scared, not even overly shy. She was merely cautious, easily startled and found it hard to trust people. And that really was understandable. She had lost her mother when a band of cossacks had raided and burned down the village where she had lived years ago. Her father had managed to save her and himself though and together they had traveled the wilds ever since. Stopping at every other settlement where the man would ask for work in exchange for new provisions. Occasionally they were even allowed to stay a night or two.

Not that one night nearly three months ago though. It was nothing unusual. People out here in the wilds of Siberia were typically skeptical toward strangers by nature. And the child had never been afraid to sleep out in the wilderness before.

She had had her father to protect her and she had always felt safe with him by her side. He had known how to survive out there. He had been a great hunter and tracker had always known where to go in order to find food, water and shelter. And then, just like that, he was gone. That one night had changed everything - one moment of carelessness - or call it plain bad luck or an awful twist of fate - had completely destroyed her young life and left her alone and stranded in a no man's land.

But then a stranger had shown up. He had heard her crying and saved her. He had taken her back to his family, who had been on their way to the fabled village of Santoff Claussen. They were good people who had taken her in, given her food and shelter but not much more. She had never told them where her parents were or why she had been sitting in a tree screaming and crying hysterically or why she was now no longer able to speak above a whisper. There was no Need for it. The father had seen enough that day to know what must have happened. Her silence and her oddness somehow isolated her from the Family but they still treated her kindly and they were sure, that once they reached the place, someone there would surely adopt the strange girl.

And now, after weeks and weeks of marching across the vast, dreary planes of the Siberian tundra and the occasional gloomy forest of pines and spruces, they had finally reached their destination. Melissa felt some sort of relief when they followed the spirit of the forest up to the gate in the high thorny hedges that surrounded Santoff Claussen.

The fact however, that they had already been expected struck the girl as rather ominous. But there was no doubt about it. The entire village seemed to have gathered in front of the surely largest tree she had ever laid eyes upon. But it was not only the sheer size that stunned her, it was the door that was embedded in it's bark.

 _What is this? Does someone actually live in there?_

The question on her mind was quickly answered when a tall, lean, white-bearded man stepped out of the crowd to greet them with a most friendly smile. And even before the man introduced himself, Melissa and the other children knew already whom they were looking at. This had to be him! The word's greatest Wizard, the famous (or to some people infamous) Ombric Shalazar. But still, when he finally confirmed their suspicions they all gasped in unison.

They had really made it. They were actually here! They were standing before the greatest magical genius the world had ever seen. The village itself was rumored to be some sort of paradise for children, freethinkers and most of all: believers. This meaning people who believed that nothing was impossible. The one secluded spot in the world, where she should have felt save and welcome. But still, even here something seemed to be amiss. Melissa could not lay her finger on it, but she could smell it in the air, feel it in the ground beneath her feet and when she looked around at the friendly and excited faces of the villagers, she could see it in their eyes too.

There was something like a shadow of dread in all of them. Melissa could tell, that they had seen things too horrible for even them to fully understand. She knew what it felt like. She would always have that shadow in her eyes as well and she recognized it on sight. So even here, not everything was right with the world.

She watched the father and the mother walk up to the wizard, their children in tow. There were five of them. Three boys and two girls, who were the youngest. Marie and Anya also were twins. But that fact only showed more clearly how similar they all looked. The entire family. They were all golden-haired and blue-eyed, with the single exception of Andrej, the oldest son, whose hair was only just a hue darker.

Melissa stayed behind, watching them as they shook the wizards hand and introduced themselves before the mother curiously asked how they had known about them coming.

Ombric merely chuckled, which caused his impressive mustache to tremble and twirl in a way that almost made the girl smile.

He bid them all a hearty welcome and asked them to follow him inside. _Inside_... meaning that tree – where he would answer all their questions.

Melissa was not so sure how to feel about this. The tree sure looked big, but not _that_ big! How were all of them supposed to fit inside? The bearded man seemed to have little doubt about it and then she shrugged.

 _Right... they say that nothing is impossible here._

She watched the family, as they followed their guide and still she hesitated until Ombric Shalazar suddenly turned around and looked right at her.

"Aren't you coming, dear? It is getting dark and it is warm and comfortable inside" he asked her invitingly and with a sparkle in his bespectacled eyes that even Melissa could not withstand. She took a deep breath and nodded before she hurried to keep up with the others.

She had almost caught up with them when she noticed something that made her stop again. The patch of ground before her feet looked strange, different, darker. Scarred. The girl was not even sure why the sight startled her as it did. But merely standing here was making her skin crawl. Was this perhaps the source of that dread she could see in everyone's eyes? What could possibly have happened here?

She took a step to the side and carefully walked around it. Then she broke into a run when she saw that the family was already filing through the door into the tree one by one. A cluster of village children stood close by. Most of them were looking up at their five new comrades in excitement, waving and smiling. A few of them however were looking over at the odd one out, the one that had fallen behind. Amongst them was a tall, gangly boy, who then exchanged a knowing glance with a younger girl, the only one in the group, before they watched the new kid approach the stairs in a hurry.

Melissa looked up and met their curious, friendly gazes. Somehow, despite feeling incredibly uncomfortable, she managed to smile back at them before she dashed up the stairs where the door was already closing. She reached it just in time, to slip in through the remaining gap before it closed gently behind her.

"Isn't this one a bit strange?" the young girl outside asked her friends who nodded in unison.

"Behaves like she doesn't belong" the tall boy said thoughtfully.

"And she doesn't look anything like the rest of the family" a small boy nodded.

"You're right" another, rather skinny boy agreed. "They all look a bit like tinsel angels, don't they? Except for that dark haired creature."

"Perhaps she really doesn't belong... at least with them" the tall boy mumbled and they all looked up at his thoughtful face.

"Did you see, how she tiptoed around that spot where..." the girl asked. She tried to sound brave but her voice was shaking slightly.

"Sure did, Sascha" one of the boys nodded and put his arm around her shoulder. "She's a knowing one, that girl. She could feel that something bad happened there. It was written all over her face."

"But how? She's never been here before..."

"I saw it too" a voice interrupted from somewhere behind them. They all looked around at another girl who was approaching them now. "Petter is right, she did feel or sense something. But I do wonder how she could tell."

"Maybe we should sneak inside and see what we can find out about those new people" the smallest boy suggested flashing an eager but also rather mischievous smile at his friends.

The girl, who had just joined the group smiled at him but shook her head. "That would be rude and you heard what Ombric said. He wants to talk to those people in private first. We will have plenty of time to talk to them later."

"And besides" the tall boy added. "It is getting kind of late. Shouldn't Bunnymund be back soon? I want to know how that tunnel is coming along."

"I can't wait to see that place" the younger girl squealed, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet in pure excitement. "Katherine, can you tell us again what it looks like?"

The taller, auburn haired girl smiled but was not really in the mood for telling stories just now. "How about I tell you about it later, when those new kids can hear it too? I'm sure they will want to hear about it and our battle at the earth's core."

All of them nodded in agreement. It was good to have some new friends around to add to their numbers. They had won the day back then, but they didn't know for sure if the war was really over. Their enemy might soon have another hideous plan up his black sleeve and they were dreading the day it would be revealed.

But before any of them could say another word, their parents came up to them, reminding them of the time. Now normally there would have been quite a fight about coming inside and going to sleep but lately this every-evening-ritual had gradually ceased to exist.

It was not like the children of Santoff Claussen were suddenly eager to go to bed at night, not at all. But they found that they had better uses for their energy and romping around the forest at night didn't seem as safe now as it once used to be.

The small group of friends broke up and the children went home with their parents. Everyone except Katherine. She lived with Ombric but since the man was busy with those new folks just now, she climbed back up to her nest-like shelter high in the branches. Once she had made herself comfortable, she started to write down the recent events from the moment a hawk had arrived with news from the east and told them, that a group of people was heading for the village.

Her friend Nicholas St. North had been standing nearby when the bird had landed on Ombric's inviting arm, watching impatiently as he had not yet mastered the hawk's particular language, but he was improving greatly on many others. He had especially taken an immense liking to the tongue of the abominable snowmen, or Yeti as he preferred to call them.

"There's nothing abominable about them! They are the kindest creatures alive!" he would tell anyone who would listen and add with a chuckle "As long as you don't get on their bad side".

As soon as the news had spread, everyone got busy. With the help of Ombric's magic, a new cottage was soon ready for the new family to move in and as the time of their arrival drew nearer, the excitement mounted to joyful anticipation.

There would be five new children (hawks are not exactly gifted when it came to counting), new friends to play with and they couldn't wait to tell them all the wonderful, awful and amazing things that had happened lately. Or rather, they were looking forward to hear Katherine tell the stories.

They had even postponed a planned trip to the Lunar Lamadary, which they had all been looking forward too. Her friends had been so excited when she had first told them about the Lamas, the Yeti and most of all the Man in the Moon.

 _There is so much we will have to tell them ... will there even be enough time for everything?_

The auburn haired girl looked up at the darkening sky and the first stars, her gray eyes searching for a familiar glimmer of light. But her dearest friend was making himself scarce these days. It made her wonder if she had done anything to offend or anger him.

 _I wish Nightlight was here... why is he suddenly acting like a stranger? Ever since we came back from the earth's core..._

Her thoughts were interrupted when the ground began to tremble slightly and then suddenly a wide hole opened up in the middle of the village square.

Katherine smiled, not at least alarmed by the display and a moment later, she waved down at their latest friend and fellow Guardian.

"Good evening, Bunnymund!" she called down to him as he shook earth and pebbles out of his fur. Since he had become a full time tunneler in order to prepare passage for everyone to travel to the Lunar Lamadary, he had discarded his usual robes and even his egg-shaped spectacles. He had also become somewhat of a chocoholic in order to grow additional limbs and muscle to speed up his digging.

But even now, that he had shrunk back to a regular sized Pooka, he was still impressive to behold, tall and wiry as he was.

Katherine studied his appearance in appreciation as he looked up at her with a smile of is own.

"Good evening, child. Have the newbies arrived yet?" He was not really close with anyone here just yet. As old habits die hard, the Pooka still remained slightly distrustful when it came to humans, but this young one was certainly one he liked a lot. The girl had common sense and if a Himalayan snow goose accepted her as a substitute mother, there was no reason not to trust her whatsoever.

"They are inside. Ombric told us to stay clear for a while but I am sure you will be most welcome, dear Bunnymund."

E. Aster Bunnymund nodded and rummaged through the pouch on his belt until he found what he was looking for. He knew by now that Katherine had a weakness for toffees and he was always happy to see that dreamy expression on her face.

He flipped the brilliantly wrapped chocolate egg around in his paw before tossing it up into the air for the girl to catch. She laughed and snatched it right out of the air as it soared past her.

"Thank you so much!" she smiled and watched as he approached the stairs that led up to the door.

He was half way up, when the door suddenly opened from the inside and that dark haired young girl came stumbling out backwards. But even from her perch up in the branches, Katherine could tell that she looked fairly frightened.

When Melissa had entered the tree, she could not see the family anymore but she heard their voices and footsteps not far away. She heard the children's wondrous aaahhs and oooohhs but paid them little heed since her path was blocked by something that looked like a man.

A man made completely out of some shiny gold-like metal.

Not sure whether to be afraid or not all she did for a moment was stare at it in wide-eyed wonder.

"Good evening, child" the metal man said, sounding friendly enough. "What can I do for you?"

 _Do? For me? Why? Wait... it can speak! Oh dear... what is that thing?_

As if the machine had read her thoughts, it introduced itself. "Please call me Djinni" it offered with a slight bow. "What might your name be?"

The girl swallowed hard but then straightened her back and squared her shoulders. Machine or not, it seemed friendly and had perfect manners too.

"Melissa" she whispered as steadily as she could.

"I am sorry, dear" the Djinni said with what almost looked like a frown. "I did not catch that. Could you say it again, please?"

She sighed privately but did her best to whisper as loud as she could. "Melissa, my name is Melissa"

The metal man still seemed confused. He was not used to have children speaking so quietly. He was not made to understand whispers, he needed to hear an actual voice to understand what she was saying.

"I am sorry. Could you please speak up, child? I can not understand you."

This was when Melissa realized that it was pointless. She could hear the voices of the other children moving further and further away. If she didn't want to get completely lost in search for them, she would have to get around this talking machine. Now!

She shrugged up at his shiny face and sidestepped him in an attempt to just pass him by. She had clearly not anticipated the Djinni's speed. Her foot had not even touched the ground yet, when the robot was right in front of her again.

"I must know who wishes to enter Big Root. Please, tell me your name first. Then I will happily guide you to Ombric and North and their guests."

The girl ran both hands trough her messy, dark brown hair and stared up at the Djinni's face while despair started to grow within her heart.

"I told you my name!" she hissed. "And I can't speak up. I can't! Don't you understand?"

For a few long moments the metal man only seemed to watch her but when she tried to slip past him again, he nimbly stepped into her way every time.

"I need to see my maker, child. My hearing sensors seem to be malfunctioning. Until then I can not let you enter."

Melissa could feel her eyes starting to burn. She started one last attempt to make the odd construct see reason. "But everyone is already inside!" she whispered hoarsely, unable to give her voice a sound. She pointed in the direction where she assumed the family had gone. But the Djinni shook his head.

Instead he stepped forward and reached for her, as if to grab her. The girl jumped backwards in alarm. She was not going to take any chances with this metal monster and she backed away and then made a dash for the door, her eyes never left the shining metal frame of her pursuer.

She ripped the door open and bolted without ever turning her back on the Djinni.

She could feel the wood of the stairs beneath her feet and slammed the door into the metal creatures face. Then she took a deep breath and turned around. And had she still been able to do so, she would have screamed.

E. Aster Bunnymund was ever so slightly startled at the child's horrified expression and he gingerly backed away from her to he bottom of the stairs to give her some space.

Then he offered her a reassuring smile and without further ado held out a beautifully wrapped chocolate egg to her.

"Care for a chocolate?" he offered and looked her up and down. "That's a lemon and raspberry filling for you. The lemons are grown in Mother Natures private gardens and the raspberries have the particularly subtle taste of those that grow on the very edge of the arctic circle for extra freshness. I'm sure it's just your thing!"

Melissa, who was still recovering from the fright the Djinni had given her was now completely shocked, and who could blame her? After all, one does not come face to face with a lagomorph of such size on a daily basis and the girl had never even heard of such a creature's existence. She had heard many stories of Santoff Claussen but nothing at all could have prepared her for this.

She backed away, stumbling up a step or two. She all but ignored the offering, still trying to wrap her mind around what she was seeing. But she could smell it. Right through the shiny wrapping, the smell of rich, dark chocolate mixed with the fresh scents of lemon and sweet berries. In spite of her fear, she found it really hard to resist the temptation.

The enormous rabbit was still holding it out for her. He even came a step closer and looked ever so slightly offended at her obvious fear and distrust.

"Don't be afraid" said a new voice, startling Melissa. She forced herself to look away from the furry creature before her and to the side.

Her deep blue eyes locked with a pair of bright gray ones and for a moment the two girls just stared at each other.

They were about the same age, equally tall with long hair. Katherine's was a bit fairer and quite wavy and her skin was slightly tanned from playing out of doors while Melissa was a bit paler, even though she had spent even more time out in the wilds. Her own hair was darker, not black though and she had braided it into a long pigtail. But it was messy now after traveling for weeks and some strands of it had come loose and were sticking sweatily to her face.

"There's nothing here to be scared of" Katherine assured the new girl with a friendly smile that really washed away most of her jumpiness.

However, she glanced back at the strange rabbit man with doubt in her eyes.

The auburn haired girl let out a short but infectious laugh. And the Pooka finally seemed to understand that he had really startled the new girl.

"I am sorry, child" he apologized. "Keep forgetting that it takes you humans a bit to get used to seeing a Pooka, right?"

Melissa wasn't quite how to respond. Should she respond at all? The giant rabbit creature looked rather remorseful but was still prompting her to take the candy. And she really wanted it, she didn't want to want it, but she could barely stop herself. The scent was almost hypnotic.

Instead however she looked up at him in confusion. "Wha... what's a ... Pooka?" she stammered almost inaudibly.

But since Bunnymund was graced with enormous ears and a very keen sense of hearing he understood her quite well. He managed a rare grin.

"You are looking at one" he said and bowed to her. "One of the oldest and most accomplished races in all the known or unknown universe, we were the first to invent the fine art of chocolate making and I dare say that I have managed to turn it into perfection."

"It is true" Katherine nodded. "You should try one! I promise, you won't regret it!"

"You sure?" Melissa whispered hesitantly but then simply shrugged and took the offered chocolate egg. She unwrapped it carefully, fully aware of the fact that both the girl and the strange rabbit man, or Pooka, were watching her expectantly.

 _God, his smells heavenly... don't think they'd try to poison me... wouldn't gain them anything, would it? Whatever..._

She bit her lip a bit as she looked down at the plain, oval piece of chocolate in her palm before she finally made up her mind and put it into her mouth.

The first sensation was... cold. The chocolate was surprisingly cool, almost crisp but as it started to melt inside her mouth the flavors spread into something she could only describe as a frosty-sweet firework.

Bunnymund watched her eagerly, waiting for the sounds of pleasure that usually came with that dreamlike expression. But since her voice was ruined and out of order, all he heard was silence. Her face however showed him clearly enough that she was enjoying the treat tremendously.

"So? How do you like it?" the Pooka inquired with little patience but obvious excitement.

"This..." Melissa whispered with a smile "Was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted!"

She couldn't help but grin at the rabbit man's obvious joy that followed her silent praise. It made her face hurt. It had been far to long since she had laughed. But this chocolate was truly amazing. Melissa felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and while the fresh taste lingered, she felt as if she had not a care in the world.

"Glad you like it, kid" Bunnymund nodded, looking very pleased with himself.

"Thank you" the girl breathed. "You are very generous."

For a while now, Katherine had been wondering why the girl only whispered. First she had assumed, that she was merely shy and something inside had obviously frightened her. But now she seemed just fine, but still...

"Why are you not inside with your parents and siblings?" she asked curiously and Melissa's smile vanished instantly and made place for a rather unhappy frown.

"They are not my parents" she whispered blankly staring down at her feet as if she felt guilty of something. "They picked me up on the way... they brought me along and I am grateful for that. But when I wanted to go inside after them, I was stopped by some... I don't know what it was... some man out of metal."

"The Djinni?" Katherine wondered. "What happened?"

"He wouldn't let me pass, I think he was going to attack me..."

"Impossible" the gray-eyed girl gasped.

"He wouldn't, he couldn't... he can't hurt a child. North made him that way, didn't he?" the rabbit man huffed, but then scratched himself behind one ear. "He has nothing of her inside him yet."

Katherine nodded and glanced up at the door. "Why didn't he let you pass?"

Melissa ground her teeth audibly as her frustration returned with the memory of that strange and fearsome encounter. "He couldn't hear me... He wanted to know my name and I told him, or I tried to, but he couldn't understand me" she whispered. Her face was stony but they could both sense her frustration.

Bunnymund watched her silently for a moment and then nodded. "That reminds me, that I have not yet introduced myself. The name is E. Aster Bunnymund and my young friend here is called Katherine.

Both girls looked at each other, nodded and held out their hands for a quick shake. "I'm Melissa" the new girl said quietly and she could see that sparkle of curiosity in her new friends gray eyes, she knew what was coming.

"Please don't be mad at me for asking, but what is wrong with your voice?" the girl asked rather timidly. She could by now guess, that this was not a subject the girl was eager to talk about, but she wanted to know.

Melissa was not angry. She had expected that question to come up sooner or later.

"It's gone" she said flatly. "I broke it."

"Broke it?" the Pooka asked with a frown. "However did you manage to do that?"

The girl sighed and shrugged. "Let's say... I over – used it. But I really don't want to talk about it, if you don't mind."

Both of them nodded as if they understood but how could they? They had no idea! But at least they didn't ask any more questions. Instead the Bunnymund creature rubbed his furry paws together and looked up at the door.

"Come with me, child. I will take you to the others" he offered with an inviting gesture. "Just leave the tin-box to me. I'll get you to your friends right away."

Melissa wanted to object that those other kids were not her friends. They had merely accepted her company but friendship to her was something very different, not that she had much experience but she was pretty damn sure that friends would not call her a wuss and retarded behind her back. And she had overheard them often enough.

But then she looked over at that other girl, Katherine and thought that she might already be more of a friend than those kids would ever be.

"Go on. Bunnymund will get you there safely" Katherine advised her. "I'll see you later. The other children here can't wait to meet you and your friends. And we all have a lot to tell you. I bet Ombric is telling them a great deal right now. You'd better hurry, it's important that you hear what has been going on here lately."

Melissa nodded and managed another smile before she turned around and climbed up the stairs again. The Pooka followed her and even pushed past her to open the door and look inside. The girl looked around him but there was no metal man anywhere now.

"Come with me, Melissa. We will find the others down in the hall. I'm quite sure, the old wizard has already given them the tour of the place, but that means that you haven't missed to much of the important stuff."

She nodded silently and did as she was bidden but they encountered no one on their way. Melissa was amazed by the size of the place. It had looked like a really big tree from the outside but the interior didn't look like a tree at all. It looked more like a real home. They passed a few chambers but only one door was open and the inside looked like some kind of crazy Alchemist's laboratory.

She stared at it in wide-eyed wonder as they passed but then they reached a fragile looking spiraling staircase and they could hear voices. Bunnymund had already heard them a lot sooner but now Melissa could hear them too.

A man's voice was currently speaking. One that she knew well.

"... found her in a tree... screaming like a lunatic... pack of wolves below... fired my rifle a few times to chase them away... beneath the tree I found… "

"They talking about you?" the Pooka asked suddenly, his voice louder than the man's voice down below. He had noticed how the girl's face had turned pale. She simply nodded.

"Djinni, go and find her!" another voice suddenly ordered. "I don't care if you can't hear her! Get her, now!" The voice sounded slightly angry or agitated.

"Oh crap" Melissa hissed. She really didn't want another encounter with that loathsome metal creature.

"Don't worry" Bunnymund said and patted her gently on the shoulder. "That robot is not called a Djinni for no reason. North built him to protect the children of this village and grant their wishes. And you are a child of Santoff Claussen now."

His words did little to reassure her but she followed him down the stairs anyway and by the time, said robot approached them, they could already see the family sitting on cushioned chairs in a half circle below. That wizard, Ombric was there too and another much younger man was standing beside him.

"Child!" the djinni said in his odd melodious voice. "There you are! And master Bunnymund. It is always a pleasure..."

As Melissa backed away and hid herself behind the Pooka, Bunnymund glared at the metal-man with his green eyes stern and hard as a rock. "I heard what North ordered, Djinni. I will take her to them. You can go back on duty now."

"As you wish" the djinni chimed obediently and passed them as he went his way up the stairs to take his place near the door.

As soon as he was a few steps away the oversized Bunny smiled down at the girl. "There, see? Nothing to be afraid of."

"That was easy" Melissa agreed with a surprised nod and then allowed the Pooka to gently push her forward so that she was descending the remaining steps before him.

"Ah, Melissa!" the strange man, who had been standing next to the wizard greeted her with a wide smile as if they had known each other for years. He looked very young, maybe in his late teens or early twenties with sparkling blue eyes a fancy looking mustache and a bit of a beard. "There you are! What took you so long? We were all worried about you!"

Despite his friendliness, Melissa took a step back in surprise and looked up at the Pooka for reassurance.

"Duh" Bunnymund huffed. "That there would be Nicholas St. North. Ex-Cossack and now wannabe sorcerer, he still has a lot to learn though I dare say. Besides that, he's the typical human, always ready for a fight and always trying to save the world. And I must admit, he is pretty good with that sword when there is a battle at hand."

"A battle?" Melissa wondered. "There have been battles? Here? I thought this place was safe?"

"From what I've heard, it used to be" Bunnymund explained, completely ignoring North and the old wizard. "But things have changed. An evil has returned to this world and it seems to have taken a keen interest in this place. But never fear. We fought it and it is beaten for now. All we can do now is hope that it won't come back any time soon."

The girl nodded, not quite knowing what else to do or say in response. But she thought of that strange, scary scar outside in the ground.

And then, before she realized it, that young man in Cossack-garbs stood before her, his hand on her shoulder and he pulled her away from the Pooka and towards the family. There was a vacant chair waiting for her.

"You will hear all about it in a minute, dear. You missed the tour around Big Root, but I'm sure the other kids here will be glad to show you everything tomorrow."

Somewhere behind her, she could hear Andrej huff and one of the twins was yawning. It was late and Melissa was tired too but they would have to hear that story now anyway.

She did not look at them but kept her eyes trained on Nicholas St. North, who moved back to Ombric's side while Bunnymund remained by the stairs. She noticed that he was watching her and the family closely.

Then Ombric started talking, and even after a few words, Melissa could tell, that she was about to hear a really long story.

An ancient evil had awoken. An evil that brought bad dreams to children, an evil that was trying to usher in a new dark age on this world, whatever that meant. An evil that had attacked them, right here in this very village, who had nearly killed that man called North... twice - and who had taken all the children, except for Katherine hostage not long ago. An evil that would strike fear into the hearts of every human being.

They called that evil Pitch, the Nightmare King.

Melissa tried very hard to listen, but after weeks and weeks of walking she felt so incredibly comfortable in that soft chair and she was so tired. But still, she tried to listen. And she heard stories of unbelievable battles, of the djinni being possessed, of relics and stolen spells and spear wielding abominable snowmen, of fearlings and nightmare men who had been crushed and sent running by those creatures that North called Yeti's ("That's what they call themselves, and there is really nothing abominable about them! Just go and taste their cooking! No abominable creature could cook up such delicacies!")

Soon Melissa's head was swimming and she could hear the twins, Marie and Anya yawn in unison next to her. It was infectious and made her feel even more sleepy.

She shook her head a bit to remain awake and vigilant. She did not feel like letting her guard down, even though she felt quite safe here now. But there were so many strangers. She trusted the Pooka now but she had not yet made up her mind about the others. The wizard seemed kind enough but that Nicholas St. North guy was just a bit too cheerful for her taste. She kept her eyes on him the entire time, trying to figure out just who exactly he was.

He was energetic, enthusiastic and as she soon came to notice, quite full of himself. Or maybe it was just confidence. But finally she made up her mind, that he was alright.

She shook her head again to clear it and to hear the rest of the story.

They had fought that evil - that Pitch at the center of the earth, with the help of Bunnymund. The mention of the strange but actually nice rabbit man roused her attention and she listened with more interest. They had knowingly walked into a trap and the battle had been fierce and bloody. North had almost been killed but then Katherine and Nightlight had saved the day by flying right at the so called Nightmare King and showed him a picture of his daughter. And this harmless little thing had defeated him. He had vanished with a scream along with all his fearlings.

For a moment, Melissa was about to ask just who or what Nightlight was but her breath hitched in the back of her throat when she heard the rest.

"This … creature... has a daughter?" she whispered hoarsely into the sudden silence, hardly able to believe what she had just heard. She had asked her late father what seemed ages ago where babies came from, and he had explained it to her quite willingly but with a very red face. And now she wondered who could have possibly liked a fiend like this enough to have a child with him.

But then... perhaps it was just some kind of metaphor. Maybe …

"He did" Ombric answered her solemnly and Melissa was surprised that he had actually heard her. "A long time ago, he was a very different man until the loss of his family led to him being consumed by darkness."

Melissa was suddenly wide awake. It happened rarely enough that someone responded to her, especially when there were so many adults around.

 _The loss of his family?_

She knew what that felt like... she had lost her mother years ago and now even her dear beloved father was gone, she didn't want to think about that day. Loss was something she was all too familiar with and she knew just how much it hurt. And despite all the terrible stories she had just heard, she felt a sudden pity for that evil creature. She wanted to know more.

"What happened?" she whispered but at he same time the mother asked if they would have a place to sleep tonight, drowning Melissa's question with her prominent voice.

The father threw in just how tired his children were and all five of them yawned to underline his statement.

"Since we knew you were coming, we have prepared a place for you. You may call it your own if you like it. But feel free to change it in any manner you prefer." Ombric nodded as he became aware or their weary faces.

"Djinni!" the wizard called and within less than a minute the metal man was back down with them.

"I would like you to show our new friends to their house but first..." he looked around, scanning his guests with a wry smile and then he gave a nod to Nicholas St. North, who grinned back at him.

"First, I need a little something from each of you. I will embed it into the djinni's chest to make sure that he can never harm you. He has been hijacked by Pitch once and we hope that it will never happen again, but just in case. Just a little something... a scrap of cloth, a lock of hair, a trinket that identifies you."

The family started to rummage through their pockets and giving things to Nicholas that they deemed worthwhile. Melissa was doing the same, but all she found inside her pockets was a used handkerchief and that last babytooth she had lost two days ago. She held both items in her hand when North came to her to collect something and she was wondering what to part with.

But when she saw the young man's expectant, bright blue eyes on her, she quickly decided to part with her tooth. It was of no use whatsoever anyway and she would miss the handkerchief more if she really needed to sneeze.

North simply nodded and took it and they all watched as he opened up the djinni's chest and put everything inside, mumbling some kind of spell as he did so. The djinni merely nodded and then stepped aside again, awaiting to take the new citizens of Santoff Claussen to their home.

The family rose and made ready to follow their artificial guide but when Melissa got to her feet to follow them, Ombric himself held her back.

"I am sorry, dear" he said. "We were a bit misinformed about the number of new children. The new home we set up is only made for a family of seven."

Melissa froze on the spot. What did that mean? They had known about the family coming here... but not about her? But of course... she didn't belong. She wasn't one of them. Where was she supposed to stay? What would happen to her now?

"For now, you will stay here in Big Root" the wizard offered kindly. "There's plenty of room here and in time you will find out that the whole village is your family, just like Katherine."

"Katherine?" she whispered, remembering the girl she had met outside.

"My foster daughter" Ombric said simply. "I have taken her in, after her parents died in a blizzard. Bad thing back then. Only the child somehow made it out alive. I think of her as my own now. In time, I might think of you the same way" he added with a smile that caused the girl to blush slightly.

"Now come. I will show you where you will be sleeping. " He offered her a hand, but somehow Melissa couldn't bring herself to take it. She was too old for this, and taking it would also mean getting attached – literally. She was just not ready yet for anything like this. Not with all those hideous memories of her dear father's demise constantly buzzing around inside her head like a swarm of wasps, always ready to sting. She saw it again and again every time she closed her eyes. It made her want to stay awake. Sleep was something she dreaded but she also knew that she needed it. And right now, she needed it badly.

The old wizard watched her out of the corner of his eye as she followed him to the end of the chamber and up a few stairs. He was not sure what she was thinking or feeling, but since the new family, or rather the father had told him about the strange child, he knew that it was probably better to keep his distance and not force her.

She had been through a lot and had seen things too terrible for her young mind to understand. She would need time to heal and to learn how to trust people again. He knew how to deal with this. And he knew too, that the other children here in Santoff Claussen as well as himself and North would be there for her. It had been a good thing those people had brought her here.

But they had made it perfectly clear, that they would not take her in or take care of her. They already had five children of their own and couldn't possibly look after another one, especially one so complicated. They obviously didn't like her much. Ombric remembered the comments of the little ones when they described her earlier.

"She's weird."

"She can't even talk right."

"She doesn't even play... all she does all day is stare into space."

"And she always keeps us awake at night..."

"... because she has bad dreams all the time."

"I am sorry for her" the mother had added. "But she makes our kids nervous. I'd appreciate it if someone else who has more time would adopt her."

For a moment there, he had been angry with those people but then had just shrugged it off. They were simply overburdened with the task. But they were here now and sooner or later, they would be a part of this place. Santoff Claussen would smooth their edges. The village had done the same with everyone who had come to live here. Sooner or later, they would learn that nothing was impossible and that the only limits that restrained them were those they set for themselves.

The girl too would sooner or later open up and become a happy child with lots of friends, he was sure of it. He would watch her, talk to her and find out what she liked. She was a child after all and he would find something that sparked her interest, something that made her ask questions... there were so many things he could show and teach her...

They had almost reached their destination when the wizard suddenly realized, that the girl had actually asked a question earlier. Something had indeed sparked her interest but when he recalled what she had wanted to know, he was not sure if this was something he wanted her to be interested in.

But she would hear the full story in detail soon enough, hopefully from Katherine.

And as if someone had read his mind, the auburn haired girl waved at him from the top of a wide spiraling staircase. She had probably climbed in through one of the windows while they had still been downstairs.

"Ombric! There you are! Hello Melissa! Are you going to stay here with us?" She sounded a bit surprised but also quite excited.

Melissa looked up and their eyes met for a moment and she felt a sudden wave of insecurity. She said nothing but merely nodded.

Ombric swallowed his initial surprise and smiled widely. "You have already met?"

"We have" Katherine nodded and grinned back down at them. "Bunnymund nearly gave her a heart attack earlier!"

At this Melissa managed a wry smile. "Never mind the heart attack. He gave the the best chocolate I could have ever dreamed up" she mumbled silently but Ombric had heard her. He let out a hearty laugh and actually clapped the girl on the shoulder.

"That sounds like our favorite Pooka. He's quite proud of his chocolate making skills. So don't you ever say anything bad about them!"

"Or about eggs! He would hold a grudge against you until the end of time!" Katherine laughed and Melissa made a mental note to always agree on everything the strange, lovable rabbit man said about chocolates or eggs. They climbed up the rest of the staircase while the dark haired girl curiously scanned her surroundings.

The room around them was almost circular with a few odd but natural bends and corners, but it was for sure much larger than the girth of that tree she had entered. Was this some kind of magic?

But she had seen nothing yet. When they reached the top of the ladder, Katherine was sitting on her bed, smiling but Melissa looked around her with barely concealed wonder. Everything inside this place was as alien to her as as another planet somewhere out in space. Strange contraptions were standing around everywhere or even hanging from the ceiling and she could not imagine what they might possibly be.

There were a few telescopes, those she knew. She had not seen one before but her father had described them to her and she looked at them with longing. But then there were lots of other things made of wood or strings or metal, with cog-wheels that were were either standing still, turning slowly or quickly or faster than the eye could see. A few of them gave off subtle ticking or clicking noises while others moved in perfect silence.

When she looked up, she could see a few tiny openings through which moonlight was flooding in and in the silvery glow she noticed birds nests, spider webs and a few tiny lights... fireflies, that hovered in the air. A lonely bat was dangling in a dark corner and watched her with her beady black eyes.

Melissa forced herself to look away from the curious creature. She was not afraid of bats. She privately thought that they had the most funny faces. They were so ugly that they were actually downright adorable again.

She scanned the room around her again, besides all the weird stuff there was also plenty of space, but everything looked magical to her. Most of all the bed the gray-eyed girl was sitting on. It looked like it had grown out of the wall which really was the wood of the tree they were in. It seemed like a branch had grown from it that formed a nest and the pillows and blankets in it looked invitingly soft and cozy.

"Well" Ombric said pleasantly. "I dare say, we will need another bed. How about right here?" he pointed to the space right next to Katherine's and as if the tree itself had read his mind or heard his words the wood came alive and a new bed grew out of the wall right before Melissa's startled eyes, complete with blankets, pillows and a bowl of steaming soup that hovered next to it in midair.

"You haven't had dinner yet!" the wizard said in surprise.

"No" Melissa admitted in a whisper. "We haven't had anything since breakfast."

 _How odd, I was just thinking how hungry I was for a bowl of Mother's chicken soup . And that stuff smells just like it... it smells like home!_

"Please dear, sit and have your dinner. Big Root will see to everything you might require. I am sure Katherine will be happy to tell you all about the place, won't you?"

"I sure will!" the girl nodded and flashed a genuine smile at her new roommate. "You will love it here, Melissa. I promise. I will tell you everything you wish to know! But now eat your soup before it gets cold."

Melissa nodded and gingerly sat down on the bed and sniffed at the bowl. It really smelled as if her own dead mother had cooked it. But there was no spoon.

I need a spoon, she thought and instantly one materialized right beside the bowl.

"Wow" she breathed. "The tree does all this?"

"Big Root can do a lot of things. All you need to do is to believe in it. But it looks like, you've already figured that out" Katherine said with a nod of appreciation.

The wizard smiled at both of them and then said his goodnight to the two children. "Sleep tight girls. I'll see you in the morning."

As soon as they were alone, Katherine climbed out of her bed and came over to her new friend. She sat down again beside her on Melissa's newly grown bed and looked at her inquiringly.

"Why aren't you staying with your parents and siblings?" she asked.

Melissa almost choked on her soup. It even tasted just like the soup her mother used to make.

"They are not my family, they only took me in for a while and brought me here."

Katherine stared at her and her smile vanished. "Where are your parents?"

"They are dead" Melissa whispered nonchalantly. There was no reason to beat around the bush. They were gone and they would never come back. She was alone now and she would have to deal with that somehow but the girl's innocent question made her stomach feel like lead. Suddenly she wasn't hungry anymore.

"I am sorry" Katherine whispered just as silently as her. "I had no idea. What happened?"

Melissa cast a glance her way that was almost cold. She didn't mean it but she could not help it. It hurt so much. "I really don't want to talk about it. They are gone and that's that!"

"I am glad you are here, Melissa" the auburn haired girl said and placed a hand on her shoulder. The touch made her flinch slightly. She didn't want that girl to feel sorry for her. But before she could whisper anything else Katherine continued.

"My parents are dead too. I'd be alone if it wasn't for Ombric and North. Do you remember your parents?"

"My Mother was killed I guess two years ago and my Father just lately. Of course I remember them!" She sounded almost offended despite her lack of voice but then she bit her tongue. There was no need for her to get unfriendly. This girl was an orphan too. But Katherine only smiled.

"You are lucky then. I lost my parents when I was still really small, I could barely walk and I don't remember a thing about them. But I miss them anyway. I wish I knew what they had been like."

Melissa felt suddenly really bad for her. It must be tough not knowing where you came from. It had to be like not knowing who you really are. She felt like doing something nice for her, but she hadn't much to give.

"My mother used to make a soup just like this. It smells and tastes like home to me. But it's really too much. Do you want to help me eat it?" She offered and reached out to pick another spoon out of thin air with a smile.

 _I am getting the hang of this!_

She held it out for Katherine to take and the girl laughed.

"Are you sure you want to share it?" she asked but took the spoon anyway, a little impressed by the new girls quick adaption to the customs of Big Root.

"Absolutely" Melissa assured her and pushed the bowl a bit to the side, so that they could both dip their spoons into it.

"It's delicious" Katherine admitted after tasting it. But then they merely exchanged smiles as they shared the rest of Melissa's dinner.

The auburn-haired girl knew why her new friend was doing this. After hearing that she had no memories of her parents, she wanted to share her own memories with her. It was a kind thing to do and Katherine truly appreciated it. She knew they would become great friends.

She wished Nightlight was here, so she could introduce them to each other. But there was still no sign of her dearest friend anywhere. He had been different ever since they had returned from the center of the Earth. Not instantly but during the last few weeks something had changed. Something had happened to her - to both of them down there. Something that she didn't understand.

Everything had been fine after their return – at first. But then from one day to the next, Nightlight had stopped his habit to watch over her as she slept. He would still stick around until she had fallen asleep, but even while she was dreaming, she could feel him leaving, or just moving a bit further away, as if the sight of her sleeping face disturbed him.

Katherine didn't know what was happening. Was it her fault? Had she done something wrong or said something bad?

"Katherine?" Melissa whispered and looked at her new friend with worry in her dark blue eyes.

The girl looked up and managed a smile. "Yes?"

"Is something wrong? You looked so sad a moment ago..."

 _Maybe we should talk about something more cheerful than our dead parents..._

"It's nothing. I am just tired I guess." the gray-eyed girl sighed evasively. "Let's get some sleep" she suggested then and smiled again. "Tomorrow will be an exciting day. The other kids can't wait to meet you all and tell you everything about our adventures."

"Adventures?" Melissa breathed in disbelief.

"I'm sure Ombric must have told you about our battles against... the Nightmare King?" she wondered and Melissa nodded.

"He did. But I don't know if _adventure_ is the right word for all of this. It sounded really dangerous! I mean, that man kidnapped all the children here and turned everyone else into toys! What kind of evil, ghoulish madman does something like that?"

Katherine looked at her with a somehow lopsided grin but at the same time, there was this strange sadness in her eyes again. The dark-haired girl studied her new friends face attentively.

"You sound as if you've met him before. That description is pretty accurate. Pitch is a madman, no doubt about it but... "

Melissa's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she took in those words, specially the last one.

"But?" she prompted silently.

Katherine shrugged. "He's gone. We defeated him there. My friend Nightlight has searched the entire planet for any signs of him, but there's nothing. It does look like he is gone for good."

"But _you_ don't believe that!"

Katherine looked up and their eyes met. Neither of them needed to say another word about it.

Instead they got ready for bed. The empty soup-bow vanished into thin air and so did the spoons as both girls crept under their soft blankets.

"Katherine?" Melissa whispered about a minute after they had said their goodnights.

"Yes?" the girl answered and she could hear a smile in her voice, as if she had actually been waiting for her to say something.

"Will you tell me about that friend of yours? Nightlight sure is a strange name."

She could hear Katherine giggle softly but then she sighed. "Once you've met him, the name doesn't sound so strange anymore" she explained, but her voice was somehow tinted with sorrow. "He looks like a boy, perhaps a bit older than me. I'd say he's as old as Tall William. But he also looks like he is made out of light and mist. He's very brave too. He had once beaten Pitch and had kept him sealed up inside a cave for hundreds of years. A while ago he was set free by a moonbeam but as a most unwelcome side effect, Pitch had awoken again as well. And ever since that day, he has his mind set on us. He's after our dreams."

"And Santoff Claussen means _A place for dreams_... of course he would target this village..." Melissa pondered. She didn't know who Tall William was, but she didn't ask. She would find out soon enough.

"How do you know that?" Katherine gasped in surprise but the dark-haired girl shrugged under her blanket.

"Ombric mentioned it earlier" she explained simply.

"Oh..." was all the other girl said. And then there was a long silence.

Melissa lay awake and stared up at the dark ceiling quite sure that Katherine was already asleep. The fireflies were still dancing high above her and she could feel the bat looking at her. She could see it too as it shifted it's wings around it's small furry body. It's head was turning this way and that, but the girl could have sworn that it was looking at her. She really did like bats but this one was beginning to make her nervous.

"Will you stop staring at me like that?" she hissed under her breath. "Shouldn't you be out there hunting?"

"Who are you talking too?" Katherine asked and Melissa could hear her turn around in her bed.

She was a bit startled that she was still awake but then she just pointed up. "That bat up there. I can't help but feeling that... "

But as if the creature had heard them, it suddenly spread it's fragile wings and fluttered swiftly out of one of the holes. Just for one moment the two girls could see its outline against the starlight and then it was gone.

"Good riddance" Melissa sighed but Katherine was sitting up quickly.

"I've never seen a bat in here! I don't like them. They are scary!" she mumbled and sounded worried.

"I think they are cute. Have you ever seen one up close?" Melissa whispered with a grin at her new fiends obvious discomfort.

"No... and I don't want to! How can you think they are cute? They are nasty! And they could be agents of HIM!"

"Him?" Melissa frowned and then her eyes widened. "He can control animals?"

"He can possess them... like he did with our bear once. He can even turn himself into one. He once disguised himself as a spider and crawled into our Djinni and hijacked him then. And I think a bat would be just to his liking!"

"But you said that he was gone... defeated... and that there was no trace of him anywhere!" Melissa was getting nervous too. She had come here with those people to find a place where she would be safe. If this monster was on the move again then Santoff Claussen was the last place she wanted to be.

In the other bed, Katherine sighed deeply. "The fact that we can't find him, doesn't mean that he's gone forever. But maybe you are right. It was probably just a random bat that found this place inviting. There are plenty of them out in the woods. Aren't there any animals that you are afraid of?"

Melissa nodded. There were plenty. She had a distaste for spiders but she knew they couldn't harm her. She had been stung by a wasp when she had been younger and seeing one of those frightened her. But most of all she feared...

"Wolves" she whispered and couldn't help but shudder.

Katherine was still sitting up and could see her pale face. Those deep blue eyes, that always looked a bit too large for it were wide open and she could tell that Melissa was genuinely afraid.

"Don't be frightened, Melissa. There are no wolves here. They do come to the edge of the forest around Santoff Claussen but the oaks won't let them pass. You are perfectly safe here!"

The dark-haired girl sighed and nodded. Safe was a relative term, when some Nightmare King had his mind set on destroying this place. But at least there would be no wolves.

"Why are you afraid of them?" Katherine asked suddenly. "I know they can be dangerous. They are predators after all but they are actually pretty too. .. and they usually don't attack people unless the winters are really dire and they can't find anything else to hunt."

 _You have no idea..._

"I really don't want to talk about it" she whispered and pulled her blanket up to her chin. She knew that she would have that nightmare again. She had it every night and she knew, it would always be there in the back of her mind, ready to return as soon as she closed her eyes. But she also knew that this was her mind trying to deal with what had happened. Perhaps one day she would get over it and get on with her life.

"Then let's get some sleep now" Katherine suggested. "Maybe you will tell me about it some day."

"Yes... maybe" Melissa sighed and nodded. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about it. Instead she thought about this place. It was far from what she had imagined. It was much better actually. Everything here - everything around her gave her hope that she would finally have a normal life. No more traveling the wilds, no more running and fighting for her life... at least not on a daily basis.

Her father had also had plans to come here but had not been sure where to find the place. He had wanted her to grow up amongst dreamers and scientists, wizards and discoverers. But she had also heard many bad tongues saying that the place was cursed and that Ombric was a madman, a heretic and an evil warlock.

Now that she had met the wizard, she knew that he was neither. He was kind and caring and absolutely incredible. He had created this place as a save haven for all the free minds out there. For people like her father, who had believed in the impossible. He would have loved it here, she thought and a smile crept over her face as she finally fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost morning when the nightmare caught up with her. She could hear the howling of the wolf pack and her fathers dying screams. She too wanted to scream but she couldn't. And then someone called her name. She felt a pair of warm hands on her shoulders. Someone was shaking her.

She awoke with a start and looked up into a pair of worried gray eyes.

"Wake up, Melissa. You are having a bad dream!" Katherine said soothingly.

The dark haired girl looked up at her with wide eyes but then she remembered where she was and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" she whispered.

Katherine shook her head. "You didn't. I was already awake." Her voice was low and soft and tinted with a strange sadness.

Melissa sat up on her bed and wiped tears and perspiration from her face. When she looked up at the small holes in the ceiling, she could see that the sky was not that dark anymore. The sun was probably just about to rise.

Katherine sat down next to her and watched her anxiously. She had not been familiar with the concept of nightmares until the Nightmare King himself had attacked them. She had had a few bad dreams since then but after the battle at the earth's core they had become less frightening and more... bitter.

She knew what it was like to wake up in the middle of the night with an awful vision in her mind. She had not talked about those dreams to anyone. So when she felt the urge to ask Melissa about her nightmare, she just swallowed it and smiled instead.

"Are you still sleepy?" she asked.

Melissa shook her head. She was a lot of things but sleepy was not one of them. She had slept long and deep and only the last few minutes had been disturbing.

"Me neither" Katherine said, her voice almost as low as her new friend's. "Ombric will be up soon. He always rises with the sun, or even earlier but I can't hear him yet. Nicholas usually sleeps in. See?"

She pointed across the room and indeed. There was another bed that Melissa had not even noticed before and that young man was lying in it fast asleep. She could even hear him snoring softly. It was a comforting sound.

"It's strange to see him asleep. He was so chipper last night."

Katherine grinned at this. "Yes, he's the best! He's like an older brother to me. He's family for sure. And so are you now. So, Liz, what do you think? Shall we go downstairs into the kitchen and prepare a surprise breakfast for them?"

 _Liz?_

Melissa was a bit too startled to make a comment on her obvious new nickname. She didn't mind though. It actually sounded nice. It made her feel welcome. Only friends gave each other nicknames. And preparing breakfast for her new family sounded like an awesome idea.

"Sure Kat. Great idea!" she whispered happily.

Katherine's grin became broader. None of the other children had ever called her Kat. But since she had given Melissa a shorter name, she did have the right to do the same with her and Kat sounded pretty good.

She held out a hand to help her friend out of bed. Then she looked her up and down with a frown.

"Are those your only clothes?" she asked disapprovingly and wondering why she hadn't noticed the state of the new girls garments before or the fact, that she had actually slept in them.

Melissa nodded. She used to have another set, but it had been in her fathers backpack and was lost to her now, just like him.

For a moment her face contorted with pain but she quickly shrugged it off. Now was not the time to feel down. "That's all I've got now." She admitted and looked down at her torn and filthy dress. It was a heavy thing, lined with fur. It wasn't pretty but it had done its job out in the cold wastes of Siberia. It had kept her warm and comfortable and still enabled her to move quickly. But it had suffered as much as she had.

Katherine was still frowning. This wouldn't do. But they were about the same height and stature, even though Melissa was perhaps a bit skinnier than her. Her clothes should fit her just fine.

She turned around and opened the small trunk right next to her bed. "I can lend you something" she offered and Melissa came closer to look over her shoulder. She felt no shame for her clothes but the idea of borrowing something like this from her new friend made her feel quite uncomfortable.

"That's very kind of you, Kat. But I could also just ask this place... Big Root, right?"

Katherine looked up at her in surprise. "Er... yes... I never even thought of that option" she admitted but held out a dress, almost similar to the one Melissa was wearing now just in much better condition.

"Where did you get this?" the dark-haired girl asked.

"Ombric made it... somehow. I think he conjured it up or something. At least I have never seen him sewing. I don't know for sure if Big Root can do clothes, but give it a try. All you need to do is believe!"

"This place has been able to provide me with my mothers chicken soup" Melissa pointed out. "I don't see how fixing my clothes could be more difficult."

And with that she closed her eyes and imagined. She believed as hard as she could. She had seen so many unbelievable things here already that it came quite easy to her. Her clothes needed to be whole and clean. She clasped her hands in front of her chest and believed with a smile on her face while Katherine looked on in wonder as her rough, heavy dress mended. The stains on it disappeared and a moment later Melissa opened her eyes and looked down on herself.

"I love this place" she sighed deeply.

Katherine was clearly astonished. "You are a natural!" she cried out and then covered her mouth quickly with her hands. She gazed over to the sleeping Nicholas, but it looked like she had not disturbed his sleep in the least.

Then she grinned at her new friend. "Ombric will be so proud of you. I have never seen the like. I bet you will be awesome in class!"

Melissa's eyes grew quite round at this. "Class? What class?"

"Ombric teaches us many things. He always gives us lessons. We learn how to speak to all kinds of creatures and he teaches us basic magic too. The key to all of it is belief! And you have clearly figured that out already."

"I don't think belief can bring my parents back to life" Melissa sighed.

"It did bring Nicholas back and Ombric..." Katherine pondered.

"They died before? I mean... Ombric too?"

Katherine nodded sadly. "I told you last night, how Pitch once possessed our bear. He devoured Ombric and nearly killed Nicholas. But we all believed as hard as we could and we brought them back. All of them."

Melissa's already large eyes almost widened to the size of dinner plates. She could barely imagine that the wizard, she had met the night before had once been eaten by that bear. It must have been horrible.

She knew exactly what her new friend must have felt when it had happened. But the wizard was alive! That other young man, Nicholas, he was alive and well too. She looked up into Katherine's gray eyes and she saw a little doubt there.

"I don't know, Liz" the auburn-haired girl shrugged. "I don't think our parents can be brought back. I have never asked Ombric, but we can both ask him later. Now... let's go and make them some breakfast, okay?"

Melissa nodded. "Right."

Minutes later they were down in the kitchen and it was not at all what Melissa had expected. This whole place was so full of magic and she had gotten used to it so quickly that she was almost startled by the fact that she was now standing inside a rather small, cozy and perfectly normal kitchen. Well, almost perfectly normal.

There were cupboards that held plates and cups next to an old iron stove. In the center of the room stood a table with chairs around it. But there were also numerous spheres floating in the air, just within arms reach and they held bread and small jars of jam and marmalade as well as eggs, ham and bacon and chunks of cheese.

"What do you like for breakfast?" Katherine asked. "My favorite is porridge with a little sugar and cinnamon on top!"

Melissa was still trying to wrap her mind around the floating orbs but then she nodded almost absentmindedly. "I don't know what that is, but I am always happy to try something new."

Katherine laughed. "You don't know porridge? Okay, let's make some! Nicholas and Ombric both like it too. But North is really more for eggs and bacon. Do you know how to make those?"

The dark-haired girl nodded. "Yes sure" she whispered and started looking for a pan. It materialized just before her eyes and she smiled. "I love this place!" she breathed cheerfully yet again.

She reached out for the eggs and bacon and ham that were hovering above her and started cooking. The regular looking stove only needed a thought to light up and it was hot in an instant.

Katherine beside her was doing the same. She was already bringing a pot of milk to a boil and then added oatmeal to it.

Melissa watched her curiously. "What is that stuff?"

The girl laughed. "This is oat, a grain. It is pressed into flakes and now I will boil them in milk. It becomes a mash that we call porridge. You can add sugar and cinnamon to give it some taste – that's how I like it – but you can also put fruit into it. Like apples or berries or... well whatever you like!"

"I do love cherries" Melissa grinned and instantly another bubble appeared from out of nowhere holding freshly picked cherries.

"You gotta be kidding" she breathed and in her wonder and delight the eggs she was frying currently nearly burnt. But she pulled the pan from the fire quickly enough.

Katherine was laughing even more and nearly let her porridge get burnt too.

"Let's set the table!" she giggled as she pulled the weird looking stuff from the stove and poured it into two bowls.

Barely two minutes later Ombric came down the stairs and saw the two girls laughing and hard at work too. He had smelled the food the moment he had awoken, knowing that Katherine was the one who would treat them today. But when he found not only her inside the kitchen but the new girl as well his heart leaped.

He watched them from the shadows for another few minutes, relishing in the fact that they were not aware of him and he smiled widely. It had been a good thing this girl had come here. Now Katherine had a new fried, another girl her own age. And they were having fun together.

He watched for another minute as plates and dishes were set onto the table. He didn't want to enter the room just yet. He knew the girls were planning a surprise and he wanted it to be ready.

"Morning Ombric. What's going on?" Nicholas St. North stumbled into him, yawning, and then right into the kitchen.

The girls nearly jumped out of their skins as he barged in on their surprise.

The former Cossack stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the two girls and the almost perfectly set breakfast table. "Oh... girls... " he mumbled. "Oh, please don't tell me that I ruined a surprise breakfast just now!"

Melissa tried to hide her grin but Katherine giggled. "You can't ruin a surprise when it is meant for you too!" she laughed but then shrugged. "Just give us a minute."

"We are almost done" Melissa whispered, hoping that the noisy man would hear her. "Would you like some coffee?"

Nicholas actually did hear her and he nodded. "Coffee would be wonderful and I think the peeping Tom here would like one too!" He turned around and then dragged the wizard into the light of the kitchen.

They had breakfast together and for the first time Melissa truly felt at home. She knew Ombric was alright and Nicholas, whom they often just called North too. She really liked Bunnymund, who was not here unfortunately, but Katherine was. And she thought of this girl as her friend. The first real friend she had ever had. And if Ombric really would adopt her as he had adopted Kat they would be sisters! She would have a new family!

Melissa could feel her heart beating quickly inside her chest and her excitement even mounted when they left the kitchen a bit later to go outside to meet the other children of Santoff Claussen. Nicholas and Ombric had hinted at a great adventure to come but they had not told her about the details. They wanted to leave it to the other kids to tell the new arrivals.

So when Katherine and Melissa met the other children, including the ones that had arrived with Melissa the night before, just outside Big Root, the beans were finally spilled.

"We are going to the Lunar Lamadary!" exclaimed a very young boy. "That's in the Himalayas."

"We are going to meet the Lamas!" shouted another.

"We will see the abominable snowmen!" another one cheered.

Melissa could only watch and listen to them in amazement and wonder.

"And perhaps the Man in the Moon!" that young girl, Sascha said with an air of awe in her voice.

"The Himalayas?" she whispered in awe. "How are we supposed to get there?"

But since the other children were all talking amongst each other no one but Katherine heard her whisper.

"Same way we got to the center of the earth. With one of Master Bunnymund's egg trains." she explained. "He is finishing the tunnel as we speak, so be prepared to travel."

Melissa's mouth was hanging slightly open.

Egg-trains? A tunnel to the Himalayas? It all sounded like madness but here, where she was now, anything seemed possible and new excitement moved in where doubt had been a moment before.

"Can I really come with you?"

"Of course you will" Katherine assured her. "You belong with us now. We'd never leave you behind!"

She nodded and then the other new children started asking questions. They wanted to hear about their adventures, about their battles against the Nightmare King.

And the children of Santoff Claussen were only too willing to tell them. Melissa only sat back and watched and listened. It was not just a story that was being told.

Those children, the Williams from the tall to the absolute youngest and all of their friends, Petter, Sascha and Fog - they brought it all to live before her eyes. They told the story of Nicholas St. North and how he had saved them from the Pitch-possessed bear as they all played their parts. Tall William had he honor of playing North and Fog was playing the possessed bear.

All Melissa and the other new arrivals could do was watch and finally clap their hands at the victory but then little Marie dared to ask a question.

"Nicholas and Ombric told us last night that you fought that Nightmare King again in those mountains you mentioned before. And then again at the center of the world. He said you... we... won both times... but how? That man seemed so strong and powerful and he had a whole army shadows to fight for him."

Melissa nodded thoughtfully, she had heard the story too, but had not fully understood everything.

"That's your part, Katherine!" Sascha cheered and made space for her friend on the imaginary stage. "You defeated the Nightmare King. So you must be the one to tell the story!"

But Katherine really didn't want to. She knew that was gifted when it came to storytelling but this one really disturbed her. Then however she saw Melissa looking up at her expectantly and she complied."

"Well, do you guys remember how Ombric traveled back in time using that amazing machine at the Lunar Lamadary? He was there when the great general of the Golden Age, Kozmotis Pitchiner was overwhelmed by the darkness and became the Nightmare King!" she told them gravely. "Ombric only had a moment but he brought something back from this short time travel. A locket! A small silver locket that held the picture of the General's daughter. Pitch's daughter!"

Melissa's mouth was hanging open in wonder and hers was not the only one. Every kid, familiar or not with the story was listening with rapture. But neither of them interrupted Katherine as she continued her tale of woe.

"Ombric and Nicholas went off to the Himalayas in search of a mysterious relic that might hold the power to defeat the evil one. A weapon that held the power of light! But Pitch, ever so cunning, learned of this somehow and infiltrated our village. He came here in the form of a spider unnoticed and he possessed our Djinni. North and Ombric used the Djinni to travel to the great mountains but they noticed that something was not right with the mechanical man. They realized that it was possessed!"

Even the children who knew the story gasped and Sascha grasped her brothers hand for support.

"Pitch had used his wits to possess our Djinni and had gone through Ombrics spellbooks to learn a spell of enslavement. I only noticed the open book by chance. I saw the imprints on the paper and I knew something was up and then the owls told me that North and Ombric were in trouble, in serious trouble."

Katherine told them how she had summoned the giant reindeer that roamed the woods around the village and how Nightlight had made them fly. They had flown at full speed to find their friends. Katherine stopped for a moment and showed everyone the compass North had given her. It would always lead her to him. Everyone nodded at the wonderful bit of magic. The compasses arrow was now pointing at the small workshop inside Big Root, where North was probably working on something new and amazing. Like making little robots like the djinni that would clean up their rooms after playing indoors for hours on a rainy day.

Katherine continued with her story. The other children knew about it already but they were still listening as if they were hearing it for the first time. She told them how Nightlight stunned the Nightmare King after he had already turned Ombric and North into porcelain dolls. She told them about her terrible night in that cave and how she had finally broken the spell just when things were most dire.

The children, even though most of them had heard the story several times already, gasped as Katherine made it all come to life before their minds eye.

Ombric, even as small as a porcelain doll had had the mental and magical power to call for help and soon the Nightmare King's army of shadowy fearlings and nightmare men had been driven away by the abominable snowmen while Katherine had restored Nicholas back to his human self by the mere power of believing.

They had faced the fiend head on but due to the fact that the Djinni, which Pitch was using as some sort of armor against the sunlight, had been constructed by North an had a little something of every one in Santoff Claussen inside, it could not harm them. So even though possessing the mechanical man hadn't done him much good, Pitch had taken it with him as he had fled.

"We thought we would be save after this" Tall William, who Melissa knew now, explained gravely.  
"But that monster came back with a vengeance. He turned all of our parents into those porcelain toys while our friends were away and then he took all of us down to the earths core where he locked us up in cages! Even Nightlight! He locked him up inside some super save vault!"

Katherine was glad for the help. It was not an easy story to tell alone.

"We were so afraid but we could see what Pitch was planning. He was arming his fearlings and himself with weapons and armor that would allow him to walk in the light!" Tall William explained with many gestures. But then he pointed at Katherine.

"But we knew that Katherine, North and Ombric would come and save us. And they did!"

"But not just us" the auburn-haired girl continued. "We met Master Bunnymund on the way and he brought his army of warrior eggs to help us!" she told them quite vigorously.

They described the battle, during which Katherine had been captured by the Nightmare King and was tossed into that super save vault, Tall William had mentioned earlier.

Reunited Katherine and Nightlight had combined forces and had come up with a plan which they had set to work instantly. It had been risky but worth a try, they had both agreed. They had not even realized that their dear friend Nicholas had been run through by Pitch's dark sword.

They had broken out of their prison and had flown right at their monstrous enemy. Nightlight had carried Kathrine on is back and brought her just within reach of the Nightmare King's sword. But not to attack him with hateful blades or magic. The moment they were close enough, Katherine had held out that locket. She had opened it and had held it up for him to see. The picture of the great Generals daughter - his own child.

"You should have seen the look on his face when she shoved that locket into his face!" Tall William said with a broad grin. "The man was terrified!"

"No" Katherine whispered but only Melissa heard her while everyone was laughing. "It wasn't just fear... it was pain."

"... Pitch took the locket and then he just vanished into thin air and took all his fearlings with him!" Fog offered. "But you should have heard him howl! It was horrible!"

 _Yes... horrible... such anguish..._

Katherine hated to think about this moment. It made her heart ache and her soul burn and she didn't quite know why it made her feel so sick. All she knew was that this monster, this Nightmare King had gone through the same terrors as herself. And even more. She looked over at Melissa. This girl was an orphan too, she would perhaps understand.

"Let's go and play it!" Petter suggested. Melissa understood now that he was Sascha's brother. But she shook her head almost automatically. She didn't feel like playing.

She watched the children run off. "Tall William, you must play Pitch. You are the tallest!" she heard one of the younger boys shout. They armed themselves with swords and daggers of wood and started acting, replaying the battle at the Earth's core.

Melissa sighed but then she noticed that Katherine was still there right next to her.

"Aren't you going to play?" she whispered with as much force as she could. It made her throat hurt. The other children were making so much noise and she couldn't remember ever talking as much as she had in the last twenty-four hours.

"I don't feel like it" Katherine replied with a sigh of her own. But then she looked up at the dark-haired girl's face with a smile. "Hey, Liz. You want to see my tree house?"

She nodded and followed her away from the cheerful commotion.

Climbing up Big Root was not a difficult thing to do when you believe in magic and so Melissa had little trouble following her friend into the topmost branches of the great tree and within minutes she had joined Katherine in her nest-like hideout and looked at it admiringly.

"You sleep up here?" she whispered in wonder.

"Sometimes" the gray-eyed girl admitted. "I like to see the moon."

Melissa leaned back and enjoyed the view. But her mind was still busy processing that story.

"Kat?" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"Is this … Nightmare King... this Pitch character... really that evil?"

Katherine looked around at her voiceless friend and shrugged. "I think so... he has done terrible things but..."

"He has lost his family... just like we did."

"Ombric told you that?" Katherine gasped and stared at her new friend.

"He mentioned it" Melissa nodded. "Do you know what happened?"

"Not for sure" Katherine mumbled thoughtfully. "Even Ombric doesn't seem to know the whole story. But perhaps Bunnymund does. He is even older than Ombric and he is … not quite from this world. He might know what really happened."

Melissa leaned over the edge of the treehouse and looked around in search of the Pooka, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead she noticed just how busy everyone seemed. Preparations were being made, for what she wasn't sure. But there seemed to be a lot of cooking and baking going on while men carried heavy tables and benches from their houses only to set them down in a clear space in the middle of the village.

"What is going on?" She wondered. "Is it always like this here?"

Katherine grinned and shook her head. "It is a busy place, but today is special. We are going to have a celebration."

"A celebration?" the dark-haired girl gasped in amazement. "Why?"

"It's been a long time since that battle. And there has been no sign of Pitch ever since. The others are beginning to believe that he is really gone for good."

Melissa nodded thoughtfully. That sounded like a good reason to celebrate, but somehow her new friend didn't look too happy.

"It isn't just for that" she explained when she noticed her inquiring gaze. "I told you that we are going to visit the Lunar Lamas in their Lamadary in the Himalayas tomorrow. That's why we are having something like our own farewell party" she smiled. "We want to consult the Man in the Moon himself. He might know if the coast is really clear."

The dark-haired girl's eyes grew wide as she heard those news. "Tomorrow already?" she whispered in excited anticipation.

Katherine nodded, smiling about her new friend's excitement. "Bunnymund is still working on the transportation now. But he will be at the celebration tonight and then we can ask him if he knows anything more about Pitch's daughter."

Melissa nodded, thoughtfully but then Katherine started telling her what she already knew. Ombric had learned much from his travels through time and so she recited what she remembered about the story of the Golden Age and the fallen General.

Melissa listened to her every word without interrupting but she watched her friend's face carefully and noticed once again this sorrowful look in her eyes, but she understood it now. That wonderful girl was actually feeling sorry for their enemy. But when she told her how those evil creatures had managed to trick the man into opening their prison she gasped.

"They … did … what?" she hissed and couldn't help but clenching her small fists.

"They imitated the voice of his daughter... pleading with him to let _her_ out, telling him how afraid _she_ was. According to Ombric, he endured it for a bit but in the end, he couldn't take any more of it and he opened the prison."

Katherine sighed deeply and looked into her new friends dark blue eyes. She saw the same pain there she felt herself and knowing that they both felt the same made it a lot easier for her to tell the rest of the story.

"They poured out of their prison, the moment the General opened the door. They attacked and overwhelmed him. They were little more than shadows but they were powerful in their own way. They entered him and devoured his soul, they turned it as evil and black as... well pitch. They possess him, I believe until today."

As Melissa tried to take that in, she could feel her stomach twist and turn as if it was something alive that wanted to break out of her. She felt sick and her chest hurt. "Those fiends" she whispered. But then a new thought hit her.

"Kat, if this is true... doesn't that mean, that they control him like... like a puppet?"

The gray-eyed girl shrugged. "I don't know, but I have been wondering about that too. I really hope we won't have to fight him again."

"You don't think that perhaps he could..."

But she was interrupted by a loud honk. Instantly Katherine's eyes lit up and all her sorrow seemed forgotten.

"Ah! Here is someone I want you to meet!" she laughed but Melissa was stumbling backwards and nearly fell out of the nest as the largest, most enormous bird she had ever seen landed right next to them. The goose's giant wings almost created a storm around them and the girl was only just able to keep her balance.

"This is Kailash" Katherine explained as she wrapped her arms around the giant birds slender neck. "She is an Himalayan Snow Goose, come Liz, don't be afraid. She won't hurt you."

Melissa was still a bit nervous but once she had gotten over the shock of seeing a bird of such a majestic size, she could not help but admire the silky, snow white feathers, the elegant neck and her soft, friendly eyes. She came a step closer, timidly and held out a careful hand.

The giant goose's head bent down to her and she patted her gently just above her large beak.

"See" Katherine smiled. "She likes you! She's an orphan too, you know. But I was there when she hatched and now she thinks I'm her mother."

Melissa grinned at this and ran her hand gingerly along the long neck, her shyness of the huge creature gone. "She is beautiful" she admitted.

The auburn-haired girl smiled back at her and all of a sudden there was a glint of fun in her eyes.

"Would you like to go for a ride?"

"A... what?" Melissa promptly stepped back again and stared at her friend and then at the large bird. Kailash sure looked more than large enough to ride, but … She gulped down a lump in her throat but Katherine laughed.

"Don't be afraid. I will be with you. Don't worry. We won't let you fall, come on! You will love it!"

Melissa gasped again as she watched her friend mount the giant goose. She smiled down at her and held out a hand. "Come!"

A part of her was still afraid but she took a deep breath and fought to master her fear. She squared her shoulders and came closer, reaching out for her friend's hand. And before she knew it, she was sitting in front of Katherine on the soft white feathers just beneath Kailash's neck.

"Oh my... " she sighed. "Kat... I am a bit scared. I am only human. I wasn't made to fly..."

"But you will!" Katherine said without much sympathy. "Alright, Kailash! Let's go!" she called happily and the huge wings started beating. Melissa closed her eyes and held on tight to the slender neck before her but she could also feel Katherine's arms around her waist. And then the wind was in her face, buffeting her long hair as it rushed by. She could hear Katherine laughing behind her. All the sadness and sorrow was forgotten when she finally opened her eyes and saw the treetops rushing by below her.

"Oh my gosh..." she gasped and sat up a bit straighter. Kailash's neck was stretched out before her and she actually let go of it and just placed her hands on the silky feathers she was sitting on. She could feel the warmth of the bird's body beneath her. She could actually feel her heartbeat under her hands.

The sky was clear and blue and brilliant and the wind was cold but she didn't mind it one bit. This was wonderful! Katherine had been right. She did love this! She felt so free... as free as … well only a bird could feel.

"This is awesome!" she wanted to shout out but all she could do was whisper. Her friend behind her couldn't hear her through the rushing wind.

"You like it?" Katherine called into her ear and Melissa managed to look back over her shoulder. There was no need to say anything. Her wide grin was telling enough but she nodded anyway.

But then she nearly shrieked when Kailash dived and she held on more tightly again. They circled over the village a few times and Katherine pointed out a few places that she thought important.

"This tree there is where all the Williams live!" she shouted and pointed. "And that over there is Sascha's and Petter's home. And Fog lives over there!"

Melissa took it all in. The splendor of this place was truly amazing. Everyone seemed to live in or on trees or even in caves, but not one bit like cavemen. Everything seemed wonderful. She pointed out to another tree that looked younger than the others around her and she could feel Katherine nod behind her.

"That's where the new family moved in last night. The people who brought you here!"

Melissa nodded and looked around, searching for the other children. They were right there in the clearing still playing and fighting with sticks and stones. She could hear their laughter even through the wind in her ears. She saw the bear who was watching the children at play like a silent Guardian and beside him stood an enormous horse. She had seen plenty of horses but never one as grand and intelligent looking as this one.

"That's Petrov, he belongs to North. He lets me ride him from time to time, but since I have Kailash... I think I've been neglecting him a bit" Katherine said a bit more quietly as if she was feeling guilty.

Then they soared up again and over the forest surrounding the village and Melissa enjoyed the view. She had never been able to see that far. The vast Siberian tundra was just beyond the trees and when they were practically floating over it Melissa could feel Katherine's hands letting go of her torso. She reached for her hands and took them gently.

"Let go, Liz" she said into her ear with her voice full of fun and promise. "Trust me."

And Melissa trusted her. She let go and allowed Katherine to take her hands from behind. A moment later her arms were spread out just like the wings of the giant goose they were riding.

She could feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins as her heart started to beat faster but she felt quite safe. She knew Kailash wouldn't let them fall. And then Katherine let go of her hands but she kept them where they were and laughed... silently... she loved this. She could do this all day.

They soared through a few clouds and she could actually touch them. She could touch the clouds! They felt like the fog that hovered over the plains on an early autumn morning but they had a softness to them that she was not familiar with. Everything was so new and exciting.

She looked ahead into the blue sky and the few fluffy clouds that passed by quickly and then she caught a glimpse of something bright amongst them. For a moment, she was not quite sure if she had really seen it. It dashed in and out of the clouds but then she finally saw it more clearly. It looked like... a boy... she frowned and pointed.

She could feel Katherine leaning over her shoulder as she looked.

"Ohh!" the auburn-haired girl shouted happily. "It's Nightlight!... Nightlight!" she yelled and Melissa felt her ears ring. But the boy turned around and waved when he saw them. Kailash seemed to be reading her friends mind and within moments they had caught up with him.

He flew along beside them, smiling at Katherine and looking curiously at her passenger.

"This is Melissa!" Katherine explained. "She only arrived in Santoff Claussen last night! She's a new friend!"

The strange boy nodded and smiled. Now that she saw him, the name indeed seemed to fit. He really looked as if he was made of light and mist and in the bright sunlight, he seemed almost translucent. But Melissa had seen so many strange things already that she didn't doubt him for a moment. She smiled back at him and nodded.

When they finally turned around, Nightlight accompanied them all the way back to the village. They landed in the clearing but the other children were no longer there. Their parents had called them home to get them washed and dressed for the evening celebration. But everything seemed to be ready.

The two girls carefully climbed down from Kailash's back and the bird took off again to make herself comfortable in Katherine's tree house. They turned around to face the strange spectral boy.

"I am so excited about tomorrow. It will be great to see the Lunar Lamas again" Katherine blurted out, actually clasping her hands happily and bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet. The spectral boy nodded but somehow he didn't seem as bright as before.

Melissa suppressed a frown but couldn't help but notice something strange. There was some sort of sorrow in his pale green eyes too. The same kind of sorrow she had seen in Katherine's eyes earlier. But the auburn-haired girl didn't seem to notice it. She seemed so happy to see her friend.

"Nightlight, do you want to see my... "

But in this same instant the spectral boy nodded his farewell and without saying even one word he jumped up into the sky and was gone.

Katherine stood dumbfounded and Melissa was wondering. "What is wrong with him?" she whispered.

"I wish I knew" the auburn-haired girl mumbled sadly.

 _Why is Nightlight acting like this? It's not like him! He's always been there for us... for me.. why is he keeping his distance now? Why can't I sense what he's feeling?_

"He's been like this for a while now" she sighed and turned to her new friend. She felt somehow close to her. Melissa was like her in so many ways. And she felt that she could probably tell her everything that was on her mind. She was like a twin sister she had never had.

"He always watches over me when I am sleeping... or he used to … a few days ago he just stopped. He is so distant all of a sudden. I don't know what I have done wrong!" she told her sadly and Melissa, who had never been really sociable due to her lack of friends reached out for her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What was it that you wanted to show him?" she whispered as kindly as she could.

Katherine managed a weak smile pointed to her cheek. "I have a loose tooth."

"Oh... can I see it?" Melissa smiled and Katherine promptly opened her mouth and stuck her finger inside to show her. The dark-haired girl leaned in and looked closely at the wobbly tooth.

"It's your last baby tooth!" she exclaimed and beamed at her friend. But then she frowned thoughtfully, wondering.

"Perhaps Nightlight can feel that you are growing up" she suggested. "Perhaps it scares him a bit?"

She didn't know anything about that glowing boy but she had seen that sorrow in his eyes. It had told her enough to know that he really was Katherine's friend but something was clearly bothering him.

Katherine looked at her with that same expression now but there was also wonder. Melissa could tell that she was mulling her words over in her mind.

"You... you think so?" Katherine mumbled and tapped a finger to the side of her nose as the pondered about this. Her new friend might just be right. As far as she knew, Nightlight had always been like this. Could he even grow up? She would of course, she knew that. There was nothing she could do to prevent it from happening.

 _It would make sense..._

She looked into Melissa's strange eyes and nodded. "That sounds reasonable, but it also makes me a little sad too. We will all grow up... what if he can not?"

"Maybe the two of you should talk about it" Melissa shrugged thoughtfully. She could tell that her new friend and that spectral boy were very close and she didn't want to get in between.

From the surrounding buildings - each of them was unique in it's own way - they could hear the shrieking voices of the other children as they were taking their baths while their parents were fighting a loosing battle trying to wash their backs, hair and scrub their fingernails.

"We should get cleaned up too, don't you think?" Katherine suggested and Melissa had to agree that it would probably be best.

The moment they entered Big Root the tree seemed to sense their intent for when they reached the bathroom, there were two tubs filled with foaming water already waiting for them.

The auburn-haired girl was not even a bit surprised at this but she kept giggling at Melissa's baffled face.

She carefully stuck a hand into the water and actually jumped back in surprise.

"It's... hot..." she breathed in awe.

"Of course it's hot. When was the last time you've taken a bath?" the auburn-haired girl laughed in glee and slight surprise.

Melissa placed a finger on her lower lip and started counting back the weeks.

"Not really that long ago" she admitted thoughtfully. "But I don't think I've had a _hot_ one since I was really little."

Katherine stared at her with such an incredulous expression on her face that the dark-haired girl couldn't help but giggle silently.

A minute later they were both soaking in the their tubs. The water had just the right temperature and Melissa noticed that even after while it was not getting any colder. It was wonderful how she could feel all the tenseness float away.

Katherine had started telling her about the place they would visit the next day. Melissa closed her eyes and tried to imagine it all but could not quite concentrate. It was all too exciting. However she never grew tired of hearing about the holy men, the other snow geese the yeti and the Man in the Moon. She could barely believe that she was allowed to come along on this incredible journey and she also couldn't wait to see all of those wonders with her own eyes.

When they finally joined everyone outside in the clearing, it was already getting dark.

Ombric was very pleased to notice that the new girl seemed to have opened up to his Katherine and he watched the two of them with a benevolent and rather happy smile.

The other new arrivals had already integrated themselves well into the day to day goings-on in the village and had even provided their share for the party. The children had played with their new friends all day and were now quite familiar with everyone.

A little earlier the wizard had met with North and Bunnymund to consult them on the matter of Melissa. Ombric was still a bit worried about her. She had seen things that no child should have to witness. Life had not been kind to her so far, he wanted to make sure that it would from now on.

As he watched the two girls sit down with the rest of the little rascals, he became aware of yet another problem. The child could not take part in the conversations around her. There was way too much noise. All she could do was listen and nod or shrug. Katherine was doing her best to include her in the conversation, but it didn't really work. And Ombric could see that the new girl was still quite nervous and shy around so many strangers.

He watched as Katherine tried to handle the problem. She was such a good girl, always trying to help everyone. He could see her gnawing on her lower lip as the tried to figure out a solution. Melissa was familiar with the situation but now it really bothered her for the first time. She had been looking forward to this celebration but now frustration started to push her new bit of confidence away.

The other children suddenly got up from the table to play a game of tag, or at least that's what they said. It included riding on rather large, egg shaped contraptions with stick-like legs that seemed way too thin to support their weight, or that of their riders.

"Come on, Katherine! You promised!" the young girl called Sascha begged and tugged at her sleeve. But Katherine wasn't so sure. She looked around at Melissa with forced smile.

"Let's play?" she suggested but she knew that her new friend would refuse even before she shook her head. Playing tag was no fun when you could not shout "Got you!" or squeal excitedly with fake fear when someone was chasing you.

Somehow Katherine understood how the girl was feeling but she didn't want to disappoint her other friends yet again. She had been a bit evasive lately, ever since Nightlight had started to act queer and the fact that he was not here to celebrate with them upset her more than she wanted to admit.

"Go on and play with them!" Melissa encouraged her with a grin. She even gave her a slight nudge. "I'll watch you... but I really don't feel like playing."

Katherine could not hear her but she knew what she was saying anyway.

"Are you sure you don't want to? It's easy... please do come... you'll see. It will be fun!" she begged but Melissa shook her head and then looked around at Bunnymund, who was sitting next to Nicholas St. North and they were having some sort of discussion. Then she looked back at Katherine and the girl knew what was on her mind.

"Alright" Katherine sighed. "But I feel bad about this. I don't want you to get left behind. You are my friend now!"

At this Melissa offered her a wide grin. It was true, Katherine was her friend and she wanted her to have as much fun as she could. She needed to get her mind off her troubles for once. She gave her a thumbs up and then popped another grape into her mouth and turned around again to try and hear what North and the Pooka were arguing about.

There was nothing Katherine could do. She turned around and joined the game.

Melissa didn't want her new best friend to feel bad for her. So she forced herself to smile as she watched and listened. She could not hear much of what North and the Pooka were talking about but the topic seemed to be the invention of a new line of confectionaries. Bunnymund looked slightly irritated by North's ideas but after a few more minutes his ears stopped twitching nervously and he actually seemed to agree with his friend on something.

Then Ombric interrupted them. He said something that made North laugh and Bunnymund frown. He had probably told them a joke which the otherworldly Rabbit didn't quite understand. And then... all of a sudden... Bunnymund looked right at her.

She liked the Pooka a lot but when their eyes met, she got a bit nervous. She could see his whiskers vibrate as he looked past her at the other children who were playing wildly and noisily. And then there was suddenly a light in his eyes that had not been there before. He actually smiled back at her and then excused himself.

He got up from his place at the table and for a moment Melissa was disappointed.

 _He is leaving? Already? But I wanted to talk to him..._

She watched him as he hopped around the table but then, to her utter surprise, he came right for her and placed a furry hand on her shoulder.

"Hello kid, will you take a walk with me?"

The girl bit her lip nervously and looked around, but there was no one there to stop her or tell her otherwise. So she looked up into that giant rabbit's face and nodded. This might be her chance to get some more information.

She stood up and allowed Bunnymund to lead her away from all the noise. They walked away from the clearing and out of the village into the forest surrounding it. It was quiet here, very quiet. All the little creatures that usually scurried around here at night had also joined the party. The night was so still you could hear a pin drop.

The Pooka however broke the silence as he said "So, Melissa... how do you like this place so far?"

"It's amazing" she admitted but could not completely hide the sadness from her voice.

Bunnymund nodded. "Humans are a weird species. I still don't know whether I like them or detest them, but it seems that they are as different as one egg to another."

Melissa frowned at this. She could not tell the difference between two eggs as long as the same kind of bird had laid them. She thought that eggs were pretty similar... all the same in fact. Shell, white and yolk. No matter the size or color.

"Eggs are... different?" she whispered and Bunnymund nodded eagerly. This was one of his favorite subjects.

"Of course they are. There is not one egg like the other. Every egg is special in it's own way" he told her and Melissa was quite willing to believe him. It was like peoples personalities and in every egg, there was a creature growing to hatch. That Pooka probably had the ability to see the difference in each of them. But she did not.

The girl nodded anyway.

"We need to talk about this more, dear child. I see you have taken interest! But this is not why I have brought you out here."

Melissa looked up at him in surprise as they walked side by side beneath the majestic oaks that made the first line of defense around the village.

"You haven't?" she whispered. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Your problem" Bunnymund simply said.

"My … problem?" the girl stammered.

 _Which one of my hundred-and-fifty-three problems is he talking about?_

"Your vocal chords are broke, out of Service, kaput!" he said and with one hand he forced her to stop walking and turn around to face him.

She gasped silently and stared up into his spring-green eyes. To her surprise she saw hope there.

"I think I can fix that for you" he said and grinned.

Melissa just stared.

 _Fix that? How?_

"I am sure, Katherine, Ombric or North have told you about the battle at he Earth's core where we defeated that … that fiend."

"Pitch" Melissa offered.

"That's his name, don't wear it out. That old ghoul doesn't even like chocolate or eggs!"

She nodded and reminded herself that Bunnymund would hold a grudge against anyone who didn't appreciate either.

"Then he must be awful indeed" she nodded as seriously as she could.

"He's a monster!" Bunnymund agreed with little sympathy. "But did Katherine not tell you what happened to North down there?"

The girl shrugged. "Ombric told us last night, remember?"

"Pitch ran him through with his sword!"

She nodded but could still not really believe it. Nicholas was there, perfectly alive and fine. How could that be?

"I gave him a chocolate egg" Bunnymund said as if this explained everything. But as he saw the girls baffled face he knew he needed to explain what happened more clearly.

"I can whip up confectioneries that can cure about anything. North had been down with a mortal wound but after he ate my very special chocolate, he was whole again."

"That is a truly wonderful gift you have there, Master Bunnymund" Melissa whispered sadly, wishing that the Pooka had been there to save her father with one of those chocolates. If he had, she would not be alone amongst strangers. Her father could have been here too!

"I am sorry about your father" the Pooka said and squeezed her shoulder more tightly. He didn't feel like humans did but he knew the special sentiment of loss. It was like a broken egg. Or like the pain he had felt when his own race had been brought to extinction by the monster that was the Nightmare King.

"But death is one of natures mysteries. He's gone to a better place now. That is what I believe. But you are still here."

"I am" Melissa admitted, not quite able to follow him. But she was beginning to wonder if the Pooka could actually read her mind.

"And you will have a fabulous life here with your new friends." Bunnymund promised. "And that's where my skills come into Play. I am sure I can whip up a bit of something that will fix your voice in an instant!"

For a moment the girl frowned but then as she finally understood her face lit up with a hopeful smile. "A chocolate egg? An magical one that will fix my voice? You …you could do that?"

"With little effort" the Pooka almost yawned. "It will take a day or two and with our trip to the Lamadary coming up it will have to wait a bit. But it will be on the top of my to do list when we get back. You alright with that?"

Melissa's heart nearly burst out of her chest with joy.

"Yes... oh yes! Please Master Bunnymund. I would be ever so grateful! But take your time" she tried to get a grip on her own excitement. "I am used to having no voice. It is annoying but I can handle it. A few more days really don't count."

"Good girl" Bunnymund said and patted her shoulder. The child was willing to endure her handicap. She was strong enough to deal with it. He appreciated that feat. "Very good. I can sense that you are quite a promising human creature. Now let's get back to the others."

But Melissa didn't want to go back just yet.

"Master Bunnymund?" she whispered with as much power in her voice as she could muster.

The Pooka turned around and looked down on her. Yes, there was something else on her mind. Something that troubled her. "Yes, child?"

She gulped down that lump in her throat and summoned all of her her courage.

 _I want to know... and Kat is counting on me to ask him that!_

"Master Bunnymund, I've heard you are even older and wiser than Ombric... do you know what exactly happened... to Pitch's family?"

Now of all the questions Bunnymund had anticipated this was the last one he had expected. He had heard about it of course, but he didn't know the details.

"As far as I know, they were all killed by fearlings and dream pirates."

"How awful" Melissa sighed.

"Yes, awful business indeed. Pitch - or rather the General of the golden Army, Kozmotis Pitchiner had hunted them down afterwords and killed them one by one. It had not been like him for he had been a forgiving man back then. But this deed changed him. He became bitter and hateful. But then he still volunteered to guard that prison. I believe you know the rest of the story."

"I do" Melissa sighed. "Ombric told us a bit of the story and Kat told me the rest of it." She sighed deeply but then looked up again, slightly confused. "So this Nightmare King - this Pitch... he lost his family to the same creatures that now serve him?"

Bunnymund looked down at her tense face almost pitifully. "Yes child. They consumed him. They devoured his soul and tainted him until he was one of them, their leader, their King of Nightmares."

"How sad" she sighed almost mournfully. " Do you think he remembers any of that?"

"I doubt it." Bunnymund huffed. "If he did, there would have been at least a shred of goodness left in him. But there wasn't. He was nothing but another fearling. The only difference is that he was much more powerful than the others. But however... He is gone now, at least we hope so."

Melissa nodded in agreement at first but then, when Bunnymund started to walk back toward the village she didn't follow but kept pondering. "He remembered his daughter" she whispered more to herself than to her companion.

The Pooka stopped dead in his tracks. "The locket did have a powerful effect on him. It broke him, made him go away. But that does not make him any better!"

All she could do was shrug and follow the tall rabbit's lead back to the clearing and the party. But her mind was busy with the things she had just learned.

They rejoined the party but as before, she was not able to talk to anyone. It didn't matter to her now. She did not feel like chatting but with the thought of Bunnymund's promise in mind, she was looking forward to doing so soon enough.

It was just a bit before midnight when she followed Katherine back into Big Root for some sleep. And the auburn-haired girl couldn't wait to ask her about her conversation with the Pooka.

"He thinks that they had been killed by fearlings." Melissa told her as they were changing into their night dresses (North had left a newly fashioned one for her on her bed and Melissa loved it. It was soft and silky and as white as Kailash's feathers).

"How nasty" Katherine sighed as she slipped under her blankets. "I wonder... does Pitch know about this?"

Melissa suppressed a yawn as she climbed into her bed and covered herself. "It doesn't matter if he's gone" she sighed and rubbed her eyes. She was so tired after all of this.

"Yeah... right" Katherine yawned as well. "Good night Liz."

"Good night Kat" she breathed and felt sleep quickly getting a hold of her.

But a soft sound woke her up about three o'clock in the morning. Everything was still and quiet but her ears were as sharp as her mind. She sat up straight inside her bed. She knew she had heard something.

And then she heard it again. A very soft sound from not far away. She looked up and saw Katherine's bed in the gloom. Her blankets were shifting about as if her friend was having a bad dream.

"Bad dreams are usually mine" she whispered and flung her legs out of her bed. She walked over to her friend without making a sound.

And then she froze when she saw the other girl's face, pale in the soft moonlight that was flooding in from above. The girl was crying in her sleep. There were tears on her face. The sight made Melissa's heart ache.

She didn't want her best friend to have a nightmare, or whatever it was, it had to stop!

She grasped her shoulder which was warm and limp with sleep but she shook it until Katherine's eyes finally opened.

"Kat! Kat! Wake up!" she whispered, wishing she could shout but her shaking did the trick.

"Eh... what .. North? … We under attack?"

"No! Kat! Look at me! It's me... Liz.. you had a bad dream!"

Katherine rubbed her eyes and felt the wetness, she remembered her dream.

"Liz?" she groaned and opened her eyes again. "Oh, why can't I stop dreaming about this?"

All Melissa could do was hold on to her friend's shoulders and shrug. "No idea" she whispered. "Care to tell me about it?"

Katherine had managed to wipe her eyes but was still half asleep. It was strange. She was used to seeing Nightlight when she woke up in the middle of the night. And right now she missed the glow of her dearest friend more than ever.

"Kat?" she whispered nervously and then Katherine saw the outline of her face against the moonlight.

"Oh Liz!" she sighed.

"You alright?"

"Yes, I guess so."

"You had a bad dream!"

"You woke me up?"

"Of course!"

"Thanks Liz."

"That's what friends do, right?"

Katherine looked up at Melissa's pale face, her large dark eyes and nearly black tangle of her bangs that framed her face. "I guess so, thanks for waking me. You are a dear friend."

For a moment Melissa was not quite sure what to say. She patted Katherine's shoulders soothingly. And then sat down next to her.

"Care to tell me about it?" she asked again. She really wanted to know what was making her new best friend so unhappy.

"Huh?" Katherine asked blankly.

"Your dream" Melissa prompted her. "You want to talk about it?"

Katherine moaned audibly but then she took a deep breath. She had wanted to tell Nightlight, but he was not there. Her new friend would have to do and she knew the girl would understand, probably better than anyone else. She nodded and started to talk but her voice was quite shaky.

"I keep dreaming about him... about Pitch.. that last battle and all that pain... that anguish ... I can't help it... it's been haunting me ever since."

Melissa just listened and put an arm around her friends shoulder.

 _She is dreaming about this... who can blame her?_

And then her eyes grew wider.

 _Pain? Anguish?... His feelings?_

She almost froze in shock but didn't let go of her friend's shoulder. She could feel that Katherine needed all the support she could get.

"I'm so sorry, Kat. It must have been terrible" she breathed and the auburn-haired girl looked up into her eyes.

"I keep having this dream" Katherine sighed mournfully. "I am having it almost every night now. I can't forget him. I can't forget Pitch. No matter how hard I try, I just can't forget!

Melissa felt so helpless but also so in charge at the same time. There was no one else around, no one who could share that feeling.

"Why on earth would you want to forget?" she whispered. "I understand that it is not a happy memory for anyone, but do you really want to forget him and with him the memories of all those battles... everything you and your friends have been through? Don't you think that even these memories, no matter how awful they are, are something precious? Don't you think that those memories are a part of you? Something that defines just who you are?"

At this, Melissa felt a finger on her lips and she promptly closed her mouth.

Katherine was wide awake now and staring at her.

"Liz..." she sighed and lowered her hand looking as if she had a severe tooth-ache. "Liz, what if he really _is_ gone? I mean not just defeated but _gone_ -gone? Do you know what this would mean for me?"

For a moment all she could do was shrug but then her strange blue eyes widened and she suddenly had a pretty good idea where Katherine was going with this. It made her feel as if she had eaten something terribly rotten.

"It would mean that we... no - that _I_ killed him!" the auburn-haired girl whispered in plain horror. "It would make me a murderer! The others would probably call me a hero or something, but I would always think of myself as some wicked, cold-hearted killer!"

Only for a moment did Melissa hesitate. She felt shy and awkward but she so wanted to comfort her unhappy friend. And then she remembered that wonderful flight on Kailash earlier. The girl had given her something she had not had in what seemed like a lifetime. Pure joy!

She forgot instantly that she had ever felt shy or afraid of letting people get close to her. She stepped forward and embraced the girl. It was a rather gentle hug, but a hug all the same.

"You are not a killer, Kat" she whispered into her ear. "To be one, you would have to attack with the intention to kill. But you acted with the intention to safe your friends. And perhaps with the intention to make that Nightmare guy remember who he once was. You are not a killer! You are the kindest person I have ever met!"

As Katherine returned the embrace a few tears trickled down her cheek but she nodded. She knew her friend was right. It was so good to have her here. She finally had someone who understood how she felt. There were of course Ombric and North and now Bunnymund but most importantly Nightlight. She could always share her thoughts and feelings with them before. She usually didn't even need to say a word, they would just know.

But this was something, she had been holding back out of fear it would worry them. She had hidden her feelings and closed up to them somehow and now, all of a sudden she realized what was wrong with the spectral boy. He had felt it. He must have felt that she was hiding something from him. As if she didn't trust him anymore!

She slowly let go of her new friend and managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Liz. Thanks for everything. I've been stupid. You are right" she sniffled and wiped her face with the sleeve of her nightdress.

"Feeling better?" Melissa asked carefully and saw the other girl nod.

"Much better, really" she assured her. "But I think we should both try and get some more sleep. In only a few hours we will be on our way to the Lunar Lamadary! It would be a shame if we fell asleep on the trip. And I want to show you everything there. You will love it!"

Melissa smiled at her, happy that she had been able to help. Then she nodded and returned to her bed. She watched as Katherine slipped back under her blankets before she did the same. The day had been ever so exciting and the one to come would be even more so. She would need to be well rested.

She forced herself to stay awake though, for just another few minutes until she could hear Katherine breathing softly. Only when she was sure that her friend had fallen asleep again, she too closed her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

It was really only a few hours later when they finally mounted Bunnymunds Egg-train and left Santoff Claussen. Melissa was wearing a new dress and coat that North had forced upon her the moment she had gotten out of bed. It was a beautiful thing. Dark blue like her eyes but laced with furs. The coat was simple and heavy, made from caribou leather with a warm furry collar. North had been up all night fashioning it for her and she had been quite startled and grateful but also slightly bewildered. She had never known a man who had been able to sew such clothes.

"Hahaa! When you grow up in the wilds with no mother or father, you learn things" the man had laughed at her astonished question and she finally understood. She herself had learned sewing along with many other things when she had traveled the wild with her father. But when Nicholas also handed her a handmade rucksack which contained what he called "two sets of extra clothes to change" she almost refused to take it. It was so embarrassing to be presented with clothes by someone she barely knew.

"We will stay at the Lamadary for a bit. You will want them sooner or later" the reformed Cossack had only smiled and Melissa had taken them, wishing she had been able to express the gratitude she felt. But since everyone had been in a hurry to get ready for the journey, she decided that she would find a way to properly thank him later. She would consult Katherine to find out if there was anything nice she could do for the man, something that would make him just as happy as she was now.

But once they were on the train, there was no way of asking her. The so called Eggomotive was not the problem. It moved along smoothly and almost silently. But there were parents and children all around her talking and laughing. Katherine was distracted too. She excused herself shortly after they had borded the train and went off to find Nightlight. All Melissa could do now, was find a place to sit and wait patiently.

For a while she listened to the conversations around her. Everyone was excited and talking about the place they were soon going to see. The roof of the world. The highest mountains on the Earth's surface. She had never even dreamed of seeing the Himalayas, let alone getting to the very top to see the Man in the Moon!

Soon however her thoughts drifted off to what had happened the night before. She wondered if Katherine was now telling Nightlight about her dream and everything else that was on her busy mind. She was actually quite sure that she had been looking for the spectral boy for just that reason.

"You know" Fog's voice suddenly drifted into her mind and she looked up. The boy was standing before her with a bright smile on his face. "Bunnymund actually created the Himalayas."

She stared at him, baffled for a moment.

 _Is he talking to me? He is talking to me!_

"Bunnymund did...?" she breathed and even so Fog could not hear her, her expression was telling enough.

"He did. And then he made Australia!" he nodded eagerly.

"Wow!" she whispered in awe and then grinned at him. She didn't know where Australia was but she was still immensely impressed. "I knew the Pooka was good at digging" she gesticulated. "But making those mountains... that's awesome!"

Fog looked at her with slight confusion but a twinkle of fun in his eyes. "I can't hear you. But I think I know what you are saying. Yes, the rabbit is pretty amazing, isn't he?"

She nodded happily and then remembered how that very Pooka had promised to fix her voice.

"He said he could make a magic chocolate, that could fix my voice" she whispered but knowing that he could probably not read her lips that well she placed her right hand behind her head to let only the index and middle finger stick out to indicate that she was still talking about the Rabbit Man.

It made Fog giggle but he looked on.

She made some movements that looked like she was cooking something and then drew the shape of a small egg into the air, which she pretended to pick up and put into her mouth.

"A chocolate egg!" Fog clapped his hands and laughed. So did she and then pointed at her own throat and gave the boy the thumbs up.

"You say... Bunnymund will create a chocolate for you that can fix your voice!" he shouted happily and Melissa nodded.

"Brilliant! Tell me something else! This is fun!"

She was quite baffled at this but she had to admit that she had also enjoyed this little game of charade. So she thought for a moment and then started to tell him about her time in the wilds with her father. How they had tracked and hunted deer and indeed rabbits for furs and meat which they would have eaten or traded for other things they needed in the villages that they passed.

And it was not long before some of the other children surrounded her too, trying to help Fog figure out what she was telling. But soon they had made a game out of it where they earned points for every right guess. And not only they were having fun, Melissa was too.

Fog was well ahead of everyone else and she thought he was probably a natural. That was until William the absolutely youngest joined in and caught up with him within minutes.

But then suddenly the game was over. The train had started to climb, gently at first but then they went up almost vertically and Melissa had to stop gesticulating because she needed her hands to hold on to the oval bars along the side of the train.

Fog yelped and stumbled but then caught her coat and before Melissa knew it, he was holding on to her with his arms wrapped around her waist. She kept holding on to the bar with one hand and wrapped her other arm around him until the train finally leveled itself again and they could stand safely once more.

"Whoa! That was awesome!" one of the Williams laughed somewhere behind her.

"Thanks, Melissa" Fog sighed, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. "I thought I was going to fall all the way down to the caboose."

She smiled at him and gave him another thumbs up. She was making friends at a pace she had never imagined. Even without her voice. It was wonderful. Those _kids_ were wonderful. Nothing like the ones she had traveled with. They were so open-minded, so accepting... and then she realized that neither of the children she had been with over the last few months were nearby. They had not joined the game either.

But Melissa quickly forgot about that when the train came to a stop and she could suddenly see bright sunlight shining in through the windows. They were finally there!

People were passing her by, crowding around the exits. She waited a bit and picked up her brand new backpack. She still had no idea what she could do to thank North for making all of this for her. But she would find a way soon enough. There would be plenty of time. She would grow up with him around in this wonderful village. But now, she would see a new place.

She shouldered her bit of luggage and made for the door. The bright sunlight blinded her for a moment as she stepped out onto the platform but when she could finally see clearly again, her lower jaw nearly hit the ground.

The villagers, parents and children alike were all moving on ahead of her. She could now also see Katherine again who was standing beside Ombric. Nicholas and Bunnymund were there too and then she noticed Nightlight. He had not even been inside the train but had ridden the Eggomotive on its very front.

But that was not what made her gasp in wonder. There was a group of men, odd looking men who all seemed to resemble one another. They had very round, moon shaped faces and were wearing wide, billowing robes. And they were bowing... bowing down low before Nightlight.

Melissa could not fathom the reason, but she made a mental note to ask Katherine later. Right now all she could do was look around at the grand buildings that made the Lunar Lamadary. She could not have imagined a place of such splendor in her wildest dreams. It was not even that large but incredibly beautiful. Every stone they walked upon, every brick in every wall seemed to have a silvery glow to it. But there were also colorful mosaics of blues, greens and pinks of every shade imaginable, and pale golden gleaming rooftops.

Her new friend had already told her about the Lunar Lamas and their habit of talking a lot so she was quite surprised that there was actually very little talking. Instead the holy men led them straight to a grand building. The girl hurried to catch up with the group and joined Fog, Petter and Sasha, who told her that they were going to have that audience with the Man in the Moon right now.

She was nearly giddy with excitement and also a bit of fear. Was she dressed well enough? Was she clean enough? Did she smell of sweat? Had she brushed her teeth and hair properly? She had not expected things to happen so quickly. She nervously smoothed her clothes as she hurried along but as she looked around, no one else seemed to be as anxious as her.

In fact the other villagers and their children seemed perfectly happy, even though their clothes were nowhere as brand new as hers and their hair was wild and messy from the ride. Melissa actually stood out a bit. She had braided her long dark hair into a tight plait that not even the rough few minutes of the journey had been able to disturb and she was quite clean and felt even a bit fancy in her new garb. She was glad for the coat now. It was freezing up here and the air was thin.

Breathing was a bit hard at first but when it got easier she only felt a bit lightheaded.

Once they entered the temple like building she all but forgot about the air. There was a huge, silvery gong hanging in the center of the perfectly circular room she found herself in. And one of the holy men, the grand high Lama stepped up to it without much ado.

 _Whoever said those Lamas were slow to take action?_

Before she could even utter another "wow" the man had stuck the gong and its melodious sound filled the room. It resonated with a multitude of tunes that seemed to shake the Earth.

Not only Melissa but also everyone else in the room including the Lamas looked on in awe as the silvery surface of the gong turned translucent and a moment later showed them a face. The strangest face Melissa had ever seen.

She knew she was looking at a grown up man, she could not even guess his age. But his face still had childlike features. It was as round as the faces of the Lamas but there was something about it that made Melissa smile and feel very well protected. It was so kind, so sweet, so fatherly and yet innocent.

She saw Katherine, Ombric, North and Bunnymund bow to him, even Nightlight indicated a short bow but everyone else was instantly on their knees bowing as low as they could. The Lamas were actually flat on their ample bellies. Melissa hurried to do the same, not wanting to insult the Man in the Moon and she also wanted to please him, to make him happy.

But when she rose again with everyone else she was barely able to follow the conversation that was taking place, all she could do was look at this friendly face and those warm, benevolent eyes.

She heard a bit of it though. The Guardians as the Man in the Moon called them said that there had been no trace of Pitch anywhere and then she heard the wonderful man's sweet voice telling them that he had not sensed his presence either.

All of a sudden, Melissa felt a bit worried. She glanced over at her friend. Katherine was obviously one of those Guardians. Had she really killed the dreadful Nightmare King simply by showing him a picture of the girl that had once been his daughter?

She felt her mind slip away and she let her thoughts wander. It would be good if this evil creature was truly gone, wouldn't it? The world would finally know peace, but since she knew at least some of Katherine's worries ,she could not help but feel a bit uneasy. She remembered the story of the fallen General and understood well enough why her friend felt pity for him. He had not chosen to become like this. It had been those fearling things who had made him so. It wasn't even his fault.

The whole thing didn't seem right to her somehow, but she could not tell what the Guardians could have done differently. After all, it had been Pitch, who had attacked them in the first place. They had only defended themselves. But still, she wondered if there could have been a way to help him find back to himself. Those people had so much kindness in their hearts. Perhaps if they had shown this Nightmare King the same kindness they had shown her...

She looked up at this sweet face again and noticed that North was showing him something. A plan for a new village... no not a village, something a lot grander. The Man in the Moon smiled at this and seemed to approve of the idea. Melissa was still quite distracted by her thoughts but she heard him say something about a new Golden Age. A golden Age, here on Earth!

It sounded wonderful but the dark-haired girl still couldn't get rid of that unsettling feeling. That worry, that if the evil creature was truly defeated forever, her best friend would never get over that idea of being a murderer.

She was looking down at her feet, lost in thought but then she suddenly felt strange, as if a spotlight had been cast on her. She looked up and realized with a start that the Man in the Moon was looking right at her. She froze and couldn't do anything but stare back and suddenly she felt something, she had not felt since the death of her father. It was fear.

The Man in the Moon looked down on that peculiar child with sorrow as if he knew that bad things had happened to her and were going to happen to her again. But then he suddenly smiled and inside her head, Melissa could hear his voice.

"I can feel somehow that you will play a grand role in the creation of this new Golden Age. Do not be afraid, child. Everything will be well as long as you follow your heart."

She looked up into those gentle eyes and nodded. "I will" she whispered and then looked around. No one seemed to have noticed her short interaction with the disembodied face of the Man in the Moon. All of the grown ups were chatting, exchanging ideas for new inventions and discussing how to build this new center of learning and dreaming as Nicholas called it.

The children, including Katherine had now gathered near the entrance of the temple and Melissa hurried to catch up with them. She looked around for the spectral boy and saw him for only an instant as he dashed by and out of the room. He was still keeping his distance to Katherine and she almost cringed when she saw the girl's face. She was trying so hard to look happy but Melissa could tell that she was quite hurt by Nightlight's behavior. This also told her, that she hadn't had a chance to talk to him after all.

She squeezed through the crowd and met up with the children just as they were about to leave the temple. Their audience with the Man in the Moon was over and there was no more reason to be crammed up inside.

They stepped into the radiant sunlight and before Melissa knew it, Katherine was beside her, ignoring the other kids that were attacking her with questions.

"Liz" she said and smiled. "Let's go and see the snow geese, okay? Kailash will be there!"

"Sounds wonderful" she admitted but she shook her head at the same time. "I know that you want to show me around, but you have to talk to your friend first. I can wait. I think it is more important that you talk to Nightlight."

Katherine looked at her with a very strange expression on her face. It was a curious mix of appreciation, wonder and worry but Melissa only smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll just go exploring the place with the others. I have to get to know them better anyway. I already know that you are my friend, so please go and talk to him. You can introduce me to the geese later!"

She even gave her a friendly shove and finally Katherine smiled.

"Alright Liz, I'll catch up with you. But where is Nightlight?"

Melissa grinned widely, happy to be able to help her friend out once again. "Right up there!" She pointed to the top of the highest tower of the Lamadary. There was Nightlight indeed. Melissa had noticed him a minute ago when he had landed on a thin beam protruding out of the structure.

"Oh, that looks like a bit of a climb" Katherine sighed. "But I'll go. See you Liz."

With that the auburn-haired girl rushed off and Melissa turned around only to find that the other children had already run off and she was alone.

She looked around searching but there was no trace of them. All she could see were a few yeti at work. They were so huge and strong-looking and Melissa was a bit afraid. No matter what North had told her, they did look quite fearsome.

Then she noticed two of the furry creatures that were not nearly as big as the others. They were sitting in the square before the temple playing some sort of game that included dices and little sticks of wood. Where those... yeti-children?

Melissa approached them cautiously but when she came close they both looked up and they looked as nervous and slightly scared as she felt. She smiled and offered a small bow.

"Hello" she whispered timidly. "My friends have all run off and I don't know where they are. Can I join you?"

The two young yetis exchanged a glance and a few words in a language Melissa didn't understand. Their voices were deep and a little guttural, whatever they said sounded more like growling. She couldn't even tell if they understood her whispering, but then they both looked up at her again and there were clearly visible smiles on their faces.

They waved back at her, gesticulating for her to come closer. And Melissa did so with a smile of her own.

"Can you... can you understand me?" she breathed but they only cocked their heads curiously at her.

"I can't talk any louder" she explained and started gesticulating again, just as she had in the egg-train earlier to make them understand that her voice was gone.

The two young abominable snowmen seemed quite intrigued and motioned for her to sit down with them. Then they began to explain to her the rules of the game they were playing. Melissa didn't understand a word but their gestures were telling. Those guys were even better at charade than she was, or the absolutely youngest William.

She nodded and picked up the dices. Soon they were playing a rather fun game called "Frujaln" as she learned. She had introduced herself by pointing at her chest and whispering her name. The two yetis, who were still much taller than her had done the same thing. The one on her left was called something that sounded like Yooma and Melissa understood that she was a girl too, like herself. The other one was male and his name was Flaki.

Melissa was amazed by the way they understood each other. They didn't know her language and neither did she know theirs, but they still managed to get their messages across with growls and gestures while the girl whispered and gestured herself. It was a wondrous experience. She was used to not being understood when there was noise but this was something new and fascinating. She was slowly picking up sounds that came along with a gesture and as the game went on, she slowly started to understand without looking.

"I wasn't cheating!" she whispered when Flaki gave her fingers a tap with his large paw-like hand and growled his disapproval. "I merely didn't know that rule yet!" she argued but laughed at the same time. And then she heard the scream.

She turned around with a start and whispered "Katherine!"

Her new friends looked around too and up and then they saw the girl.

 _Oh my God!_ Was Melissa's only thought.

Her friend was falling. She was falling from the peak of the highest tower on the highest mountain on Earth.

Melissa was on her feet in an instant and started running, wanting to catch her falling friend but knowing that the velocity of her fall would probably crush her too and she was not even close to fast enough.

"Help!" she tried to yell but her voice was as silent as it used to be. "Oh noo... Katheriiiine!"

But then Nightlight was suddenly there and caught her just in time.

And within moments the square below the tower was filled with people. Lunar Lamas where there and all the parents and even the other children as if they had been summoned by a spell. But Melissa didn't care about the crowd. Katherine was safe and that was all that mattered. She tried to get to her but there were too many people.

The Lamas were bowing again, deeper than ever and only then did she realize that the terrible fall had caused Katherine's last baby tooth to finally fall out.

They called it the tooth of destiny.

Minutes later she was sitting down with everyone in a wide semi circle while the grand high Lama – with the aid of the bookworm, Mr. Qwerty told them all about the importance of Katherine's lost tooth and the story of the Queen Toothiana, the Sisters of Flight and the Monkey King.

It was a sad story indeed. Toothiana had been born as a normal child but her mother had been a Sister of Flight. She had been one of the fabled winged women who called the not so far away mountain of Punjam Hy Loo their home. Her Father had been the slave and friend of a Maharaja, who was very fond of hunting and nothing would keep him away from the ultimate prey. He was after the flying elephant that the Sisters of Flight guarded.

This fabled creature held the memories of everything that had happened on this world and everyone who lived on it.

When the Maharaja closed in on his prey, those flying women intercepted him and he aimed his ruby tipped arrow at them instead. But his slave and tracker had stopped him by putting himself in the line of fire. He saved a sister of flight and then, when the angry creatures threatened to end the Maharajas life, he saved him too. In the process of all of this he had fallen in love with the winged woman and she was so taken by his act of selflessness that she fell in love with him as well.

They wanted to stay with one another and got married while the Maharaja suffered a very different fate.

The flying elephant turned him into a vile creature half man, half monkey and so the Monkey King was created. And he was as horrible a creature as he had been a man. He wanted revenge for him being reduced to the state of an animal.

For a while the Maharaja's former slave Haroom and his wife Rashmi, who had lost her wings when she had agreed to marry him lived quite happily. Then a little girl was born, everything was perfect.

Until the day Toothiana sprouted wings and learned to fly. The humans around her were afraid of the flying child and the hunt began.

The Monkey King himself finally killed her parents in an attempt to capture her but she escaped and through many trials and hardships she became what Children would later call the Toothfairy.

She would come to children, who had lost a baby tooth in the dead of night when they were asleep and take the tooth. She would leave a little treasure behind, it used to be jewels but now as the world was becoming more sophisticated she would leave coins. For those teeth held the children's most precious memories and she could bring them back to them whenever they needed to remember.

Melissa looked over at her friend with a smile. At the same moment Katherine looked around searching and when their eyes finally met, both of them exchanged a hopeful smile.

The story, no matter how sad it was had also given them hope. Katherine's tooth of destiny held her memories. If this Toothiana creature would really come for it, she might be able to make her remember what she wanted to remember more than anything: her parents.

Melissa had noticed another thing, that made her feel quite happy for her friend. Nightlight was standing next to her and didn't leave her side even for a minute. It seemed the fact that they had nearly lost her had knocked some sense into him.

When she met up with them outside, the both of them had rather mischievous grins on their faces and Melissa knew instantly that they were up to something. Most likely something the grown ups were not supposed to know about.

She approached them cautiously, not quite sure if she was welcome to join them. But Katherine had already spotted her and motioned for her to come closer.

"We have a plan" the auburn-haired girl grinned eagerly.

Melissa lifted an eyebrow at the odd pair but then grinned as well. "You heard what the Lamas said" she whispered. "She won't come, if you stay awake to wait for her."

"That's why I will not stay awake, but Nightlight will, and he will make sure that I will get that tooth back, right?"

The spectral boy looked a bit queasy about his task but he nodded.

"Do you really think, she will just take your memories and fly off with them?" the dark-haired girl wondered thoughtfully and at this both Katherine and Nightlight shrugged. They didn't really know how that feathered queen went about her business, but Katherine was determined to remember her parents. And that strange boy was just as determined to help her.

Melissa looked at him and offered a shy but hopeful smile. "Would it be alright if I stayed awake too? I have no more baby-teeth to loose but I would really like to see her just once" she whispered timidly, quite sure that at least the spectral boy would tell her no.

But instead he said nothing, he simply smiled. And when she saw Katherine mimic his expression with her eyes full of fun, she nodded.

"I would so like to see her too" the auburn-haired girl admitted but then she placed her hands on her hips with a fierce expression on her face. "But not before I have memories of my parents. And I will not turn down help when it is offered by a friend. But the two of you will have to remain hidden and silent too.

Melissa exchanged a glace with Nightlight and both of them started to giggle. She had never heard the boy's voice before but his laughter was amazing. Silent like a soft breeze but still clear like a silver bell.

Katherine laughed as well. "I see" she said nodding. "Silence won't be the problem!"

It was still quite early, way to early to go to sleep but for once in her life, Katherine couldn't wait to go to bed.

They spent the rest of the afternoon playing with the other children. Most of them had already started replaying the story they had heard earlier but they came up to Katherine and her friends when they found that they would need more wild animals.

The abominable snowmen, who were not only accomplished warriors and chefs but also seasoned hunters, had provided them with fur cloaks that they could use as costumes. There were two left, a white and black spotted pelt that looked like a snow leopard and a shaggy looking thing that looked very much like a giant baboon.

Melissa ground her teeth when it was handed to her. She was a bit worried about that costume.

"Don't worry" Petter told her. "I'm playing the evil Monkey King. You can just be a random ape, how is that? You can throw banana skins and coconuts at me!"

That made her smile again, but she felt a bit sorry for the boy.

"But once Bunnymund has fixed your voice, we can switch roles!" he promised her with a wide grin and she laughed silently. In that case, she would be glad to give them the baddest monkey ever. She threw of her heavy coat and covered herself in the fur cloak instead and then she joined the play.

Yooma and Flaki had joined them too and they assured Melissa, that she would make a fine young Yeti with that fur costume. At this suggestion she decided that she would pretend to be an abominable snowman instead of a monkey. It was a lot more fun and she ran a long with her two naturally furry friends, trying to imitate their ferocious roars, which of course she couldn't but she didn't mind. She just brandished her stick like a spear as they chased Petter across the square, who laughed and shrieked and stuck his tongue out at them while Sascha, who had the honor of playing the queen Toothiana waved her arms as if she could fly and tried very hard to be more than just one.

They had not quite finished playing when the parents called them in for dinner.

The children were hungry enough to obey but they did not discard their costumes. They wanted to pretend that this was their feast of victory after defeating the evil royal primate.

Their parents however reminded them, that it was very bad manners to eat like animals in the presence of the Lunar Lamas and they actually had to agree that it probably was.

It was Sascha who suggested that they could pretend to be at a Maharaja's court (a good one, of course) and they all hung their fur cloaks over the backs of their chairs and with some effort brought forth their finest manners much to the joy of the adults around them.

And it was quite a royal feast too. The abominable snowmen had outdone themselves and had whipped up delicacies fit for any king or queen.

The Lamas and their guests could not stop sighing with pleasure as they feasted on roast mountain fowl, rare vegetables that only grew on the icy peaks surrounding them, exotic rice dishes and cheese made from the milk of the Himalayan mountain goat.

Melissa had never known the bliss of such amazing food but by the time, the Yeti's brought in the dessert she was as full as she had ever been.

"There is always room for dessert" Katherine advised her wisely and placed a piece of chocolate tart topped with something white, that neither of them had ever seen before on her plate.

The dark-haired girl shrugged and then nodded. It smelled heavenly and she picked up the small fork that was probably meant for just this. She cut off a small piece of the treat and sniffed at it carefully before taking a bite. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"How is it?" Fog, who sat across the table from her asked curiously.

"Cold" she gasped wondering if the boy could hear her over the noise around them. "And hot! And absolutely delicious! What is that?"

Fog stared at her in confusion but Katherine who sat at her side laughed and translated for him.

The boy shrugged and the other children laughed and helped themselves to the same. Melissa realized that she had been the guinea pig to try it first to see if it was good. She grinned at this and decided not to hold a grudge. She had no idea what she was eating but it was just too good.

She looked around at the other faces at the table. She saw North, who was eating his dessert with such gusto as if he hadn't had a square meal in weeks. Ombric was clearly enjoying it with a dreamy expression and Bunnymund was savoring it with a look of wonder in his eyes which quickly changed into alarm as he suddenly began to shiver and twitch as he grew a second head.

"Chocolate!" he hollered suddenly as everyone around him nearly choked on the treat at he sight. "It had to be _chocolate_!"

A Yeti came rushing up to him and seemed to apologize for the inconvenience but Bunnymund laughed. "What is done is done" he shrugged, picked up an extra fork and started eating with a fork in each hand to feed both of his mouths.

While one of his mouths was still chewing the other one asked the worried Yeti what the topping was. And this was obviously a question everyone shared because immediately all the conversations stopped. The abominable snowman explained and Bunnymund's eyes, all four of them, grew wide in wonder and delight.

"Ice cream!" his unoccupied mouth translated while the other one devoured another fork full of the Dessert. "What a wonderful, marvelous invention! Why have I never thought of it? You will have to show me how it is done. May I join you in the kitchen tomorrow night?"

The children laughed at this but soon enough they were all done eating and for once, they felt ready to go to bed. All of them knew that Katherine could hardly wait and they were all with her.

But once they were all washed, changed and tucked in, pretending to be asleep just to get up again, once their parents had left, to lie in wait under their windowsills, they faced a new problem. One they were quite powerless to fight. Their bellies were so full of yeti-made goodness and it made them so very tired. They just could not help it. One by one they fell asleep in their beds as the moon rose in the night sky.


	4. Chapter 4

A.N.: Naturally I would love to know what you think, so reviews are very much appreciated :-)

* * *

Only three children were still awake. Katherine, because she was so excited and because the other Guardians kept popping in on her to give her advice on the best way to fall asleep, Nightlight because he never slept anyway and Melissa because she had sworn an oath to remain vigilant in order to see the Queen Toothiana and help her best friend. She had donned her monkey costume again, hoping that if anyone saw her, they would mistake her for a Yeti and pay her no heed.

She had climbed up onto the roof above Katherine's window hiding behind a chimney. Nightlight was there with her but he was perched on the rim and seemed a bit annoyed with the commotion in their friends room.

 _If they don't stop disturbing her, she will never fall asleep!_ The spectral boy thought. _And then the Queen will not come and my Katherine will never have her memories._

He turned around to the other girl, the new one, and saw her looking back at him nervously. He liked her. She was somehow like Katherine. Good and what the tall ones called innocent. But she was also shrewd in her own way. And she was the only one, who had managed to stay awake. He knew he could count on her.

"Melissa" he whispered and the girl looked at him with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe that he had just said her name. "I have to stop the others from keeping her awake. I will be back as soon as Katherine sleeps. Don't go anywhere! And keep your eyes peeled for trouble!"

She nodded seriously and gave him the thumbs up sign but as soon as he had dropped from the roof rail, she smiled widely. So Nightlight could speak, he just didn't do it... or not to everyone. She felt quite special all of a sudden and her determination mounted. She would not let him or Katherine down at any cost.

She hid herself in the shadow of the chimney with all the skill she had learned from her father. She knew how to stay undetected, how to remain unnoticed while stalking deer or other prey. She knew how to use darkness and shadows to her advantage and how to stay out of the wind. And this was a very serious situation! She was nervous and a little anxious that the mysterious flying Queen might see her after all. She was surely much more accomplished then she was.

Melissa could hear a bang, as if a door had been slammed shut down in the room below and then everything was quiet. She knew Nightlight was with Katherine and she didn't worry too much yet. As long as he was with her, she was not yet asleep. But then, only minutes later as it seemed, she could see a faint shimmer of light.

The spectral boy was back but this time, he did not remain in the open. There was another chimney not far away and he hid himself behind it. She could see him and he could see her.

"Is Katherine asleep?" Melissa dared to ask in her whisper and she saw the boy nod.

She nodded back and trained her eyes on the night sky. This was it. She would not fail to see Queen Toothiana and if need be, she would help Nightlight to retrieve the tooth that now lay securely beneath Katherine's pillow.

But as they waited, she noticed that the wind picked up. There was something in the air and she didn't know if she liked it or not. Was the weather about to change? Was a snowstorm coming?

She looked over at Nightlight who looked back at her as if he had read her thoughts. He shrugged and then she saw him tense, he looked up at the dark sky and she tore her gaze away from him. There was a glimmer in the Darkness that was not a star, it looked much more lively and it came closer quickly.

 _It's her... she's coming!_

"She saw me!"

For a moment it seemed as if she could hear Nightlight's voice inside her head. She glanced at him quickly and saw him frown. She had heard his voice... in her mind. And then she heard it again.

"Stay hidden. She only saw _me_. You might be able to help if things go wrong, wait for my call!"

"Okay" she mouthed, not even daring to whisper. Then she looked back at the sky and saw her clearly. A woman covered in cerulean and viridian feathers, with wings that fluttered faster than the eye could see.

 _Oh my gosh... She's beautiful!_

And she was so close when she entered Katherine's room through the open window. But she had really seen Nightlight. Melissa was sure, she had seen her look up at him and shake her head in a rather forbidding gesture as she did.

Nightlight dashed out of his hiding place and followed her anyway.

Melissa felt nervous but she didn't budge, she would wait for Nightlight's call and she knew she would hear him even if he was on the other side of the world. Everything was very quiet and still for minutes. The Lunar Lamadary lay in complete silence and darkness.

In fact it was darker than she had anticipated. She looked up and realized that the sky was cloudy, blocking the light of the moon and the stars. But when she looked down again to the spot where Nightlight had disappeared she noticed something that made her gasp.

The darkness was thickening somehow, becoming more … solid and then they came... out of nowhere...

Monkeys! They just seemed to pop out of thin air! Screeching, chattering monkeys, hundreds of them! And were headed for Katherine's bedroom.

"Nightlight!" she tried to scream but no sound came out of her mouth. And before she knew what she was doing she was a the rim of the roof, out of hiding and looking down. Monkeys were crowding into her best friends bedroom and they seemed everything but friendly. And at the same time she heard the spectral boy's voice in her head again.

"Help!"

And within instants all hell broke loose. She could hear sounds of battle from the room below her. She could hear North shouting and Bunnymund yelling. She wanted to help but she could not fly like Nightlight. So she turned around and climbed back down from the roof on the side of the building, using the ladders she had also used to come up here. Then she ran for the front door and up to the room her dear friend Katherine was in.

When she finally burst in through the open door, accompanied by a few abominable snowmen, she found herself in the middle of a fierce battle. She wanted to help. She wanted to safe her friend but she didn't even have a weapon!

"Katherine! Nightlight!" she tried to yell but could do little more than whisper. And then she saw North, his sword was coming down at her and she let herself fall to the ground. Her instincts saved her but only just and the next thing she saw were furry paws and monkeys all around her. The noise was deafening. She saw Bunnymund fighting them off nearby. He had shrunk down to a one headed Pooka again and she crawled toward him only to find herself in harms way once more.

He was brandishing his staff and looked right at her as he took aim. They were attacking her! Why? She skittered away as quickly as she could. The monkeys paid her no heed. What was going on? Why were her friends, the Guardians attacking her and the enemies, the Monkeys, were not?

They didn't even seem to notice that she was there!

And then, one of them tossed her a dagger not to attack, but as a weapon and Melissa understood. She was still covered in that fur cloak. The monkeys thought she was one of them! And so did her friends! She grabbed the dagger and smiled almost evilly. This was perfect! She could help like this! But she would have to avoid the attacks of the Guardians.

 _Oh, curse the irony!_

For a moment while she was still trying to get to her feet, she thought she could hear Katherine scream and then she was shoved violently by the rush of furry bodies. She was buffeted around until she was suddenly pushed out of the window. She yelped, or at least she felt like it. And then she fell, only for an instant before she landed on her hands and knees and started crawling. She didn't understand what was happening but she was being pushed forward by the flood of shrieking primates.

Melissa didn't even have time to be afraid. She was far to busy fighting for balance but she was afraid for her friend. She pulled the large cloak up from her face a bit and realized that the monkeys were on the run. But what they were running over was some sort of road made of solid darkness and it lead right into the sky. She was being dragged along in an endless river of monkeys and she tumbled along with them. The stream was too strong to oppose. She just kept running and then suddenly a screaming sack was tossed forward above her head. She knew that voice.

 _Kat!_

Those furry fiends were abducting her friend! But still, they did not seem to notice that she was not one of them. And she was so high up in the air. It was nothing like flying on the back of Kailash. It was terrifying but she had no time to even think about that.

Melissa thought fast and decided to make use of her camouflage. She pretended to be one of them. She bent her back and tried to run as they did, on hands and feet, across that highway of darkness, hoping that at the end of it, she would be able to help her friend.

But they moved so fast and she felt herself fall back and finally behind. But then, all of a sudden the dark road ended, she saw the last few monkeys jump and before she knew it she was falling yet again.

She screamed without a voice and then slammed chest first into the branch of a tree. She was so shocked that she failed to hold on and promptly her back crashed into another and then she managed to wrap her arms around the next branch she hit.

Seeing stars, she gasped for breath and for a moment she only wished that all the pain would go away... until she noticed that she was only a few feet above the ground now. And when she looked around, she could see the dense foliage of the jungele surrounding her and just ahead the ruins of an ancient city. She had almost forgotten about the monkeys but now she could see and hear them shuffling through the trees all around her.

And then she saw Katherine!

She was right there in the clearing between the remains of ancient buildings, unharmed and she was wiping moss and grime from a wall with a look of wonder on her face.

"Kat!"

Melissa felt her frustration mount again when she could not call out to her friend. It was then, that she suddenly became aware the almost eerie silence. The monkeys were keeping their distance to Katherine and had stopped their annoying screeching and chattering. The jungle itself seemed to be holding it's breath.

The girl tensed on her branch. Something was not right here, something was very, very wrong.

The auburn-haired girl was moving around but did not see what Melissa saw. Shadows were gathering around her as if they were drawn towards her. And then a figure stepped out of the darkness right behind her - not just a shadow but something much more sinister.

"Kat!" Melissa tried to call out again but to no avail. She saw her friend turn around and look up at the stranger. Her eyes grew wide but only for an instant.

"Pitch."

Melissa froze on her perch. She pressed her aching chest against the branch and tried to make herself as flat and still as she possibly could.

She held her breath and watched the scene below her in horror and slight confusion.

This was Pitch? This was the terrible Nightmare King that everyone was so afraid of? The girl couldn't help but frown a bit. After all she had heard about him, she would have expected him to be somehow more impressive and terrifying, less human-like looking but more monstrous and a lot uglier.

 _But well, you can't really judge people from the outside... and he sure is a creepy fellow._

Or so she thought, but she had seen nothing yet.

She watched and listened intently as her friend was facing this so called King of Nightmares. Katherine had to be so scared! But Melissa was quite impressed by how cool and collected she managed to act. Only her eyes betrayed her fear and perhaps even a bit of relief.

Melissa listened to their strange conversation and didn't like what she heard. The creepy man really had his mind set on destroying their friends, the Guardians. This awful person wanted them dead! And Katherine was one of them. There was practically nothing stopping him from ending her right here and now!

And he seemed so confident... what was he planning?

She frowned deeply and tried to push herself forward a little more, hoping that she would not be discovered. Then she noticed the monkeys, she heard them moving around the tree above and beside her. They were all around her. She could feel their eyes on her back as if they were wondering why she was flat on her belly.

That fur cloak was still covering her, the camouflage still worked. Perhaps she could use that. But trying to hide herself only made her more suspicious. As soon as she understood this, she sat up, balancing her weight on the balls of her feet and pulled the cloak more tightly around her. The pain in her chest nearly made her gasp for breath but she covered her mouth quickly and pulled down the hood as low as she could without blocking her vision.

She had to see what was happening without being seen herself and figure out a way to help her friend.

It astonished her how easily the girl replied to a creature that scared her so, but Katherine did. She even seemed to encourage him to keep talking to her. Melissa nodded as she understood. She was trying to buy time. That was probably a good idea. Perhaps their friends would come to save them. They had done so before. They had even traveled to the center of the Earth to get the other children of Santoff Claussen back and to safety.

They would not abandon their friend. Her? Melissa? Perhaps, but never Katherine! But did they even know where they were?

That thought made her suddenly wonder just where _here_ might be? It was another mountain top but it was nothing like the Himalayas. This place was surrounded by jungle and it was warm and humid and she was beginning to sweat under her heavy disguise.

Melissa was barely aware of that though. She watched as her friend boldly started to give out compliments to the Nightmare King, trying to make him tell her of his plan and that mysterious price he wanted to claim.

It wasn't working though. Melissa could see that. Pitch was way to smart to fall for that old trick. Even she could see through it.

But then something happened that neither of them had suspected.

Something inside Katherine's clenched fist began to glow and in response a small ruby casket, that was now dangling from Pitch's neck glowed as well. And within an instant three monkeys were on top of Katherine.

Melissa nearly slipped form her perch in terror, but then she realized the the primates were not hurting her friend. They merely held her in place and one of them snatched the glowing object from her hand and gave it to the Nightmare King. He held it in his left palm and grinned down on it gleefully. At the same moment Melissa heard Katherine cry out.

"No! Give it back. That's my tooth!"

 _Her tooth? Her memories? Oh dear Moon!_

Melissa became instantly aware of the seriousness of the situation. If this monster of a man did anything to her tooth – the tooth of destiny – it would destroy Katherine's last hope of ever remembering her parents.

She had to do something! She had to do something right now and when she saw how Pitch raised his hand and pressed the glowing tooth against his forehead, she decided to do something incredibly daring and just as stupid.

She crept a bit closer to the scene beneath her and tensed her muscles. She took careful aim and then jumped. The branch she had sat on quivered as she pushed herself off it and flew... no … fell toward the ground. She didn't even have time to think about the possible consequences. Yes, she could get seriously hurt, she probably would. Perhaps she would even die, but that didn't matter to her now. All that counted was that she got that tooth away from the Nightmare King. Her eyes never left her target as she closed in on it rapidly.

And then, merely a split second later, she crashed right into him and then tumbled to the ground. Her aim had been true, however. She had knocked his hand away from his face and he had actually dropped the tooth. She had seen it fall from his hand, almost in slow motion and then the pain set in.

It was not as bad as she had feared. It was mostly her already bruised chest and now she merely scraped her knees and the palms of her hands.

"How dare you?" a venomous voice shrieked very close to her ears. She could only see the rim of the Nightmare King's long, black robe but she knew he was looming over her and then a dark hand closed around her throat and she was pulled up from her knees with force.

"How dare a vile, lowly primate oppose me?" he spat at her and shook her violently.

Melissa was properly terrified now and in more pain then she had ever known. She couldn't breathe but she struggled and fought with all her strength. Her hands clawed at the bony fingers that seemed about to crush her windpipe and she kicked at him wildly.

And this was when Pitch realized that there was truly something strange about that monkey. It's hands looked so... human and then he received a kick in the stomach.

"Boots?" he gasped in utter surprise and dropped her instantly. A moment later the fur cloak was ripped off her and Melissa glowered up at him, her face pale and her dark blue eyes were hot with rage and pain. Quite a few strands of her long hair had come loose from her usually tightly braided pigtail and stuck to her sweaty face.

For one moment everything was perfectly silent as the two unlikely opponents sized each other up.

The Nightmare King's first thought was that he had come across some kind of wild child, that had grown up among the beasts that roamed this jungle but when he noticed her dress, he knew better.

"Melissa?" Katherine breathed somewhere close by and then Pitch knew for sure. This new creature was one of _them_! But how had she gotten here so fast? Were the Guardians already here too? He looked around nervously and then noticed the fur cloak he had tossed aside and the riddle unfolded in his mind as he put two and two together.

Melissa's eyes never left his face and she drew strength from his obvious surprise and sudden jumpiness.

"How dare _you_?" she hissed up at him as she struggled to make it back to her feet. "How dare you try and steal my friends precious memories?"

Pitch stared at her, quite unable to believe the girl's strange lack of fear. But then he looked down at the ground in search of the tooth.

Melissa had already spotted it. It was right there before him, partly hidden under the rim of his robes but it was still emitting a faint glow. And she had only been waiting for the moment he would look away from her.

She threw herself forward, arms outstretched and she pushed him with all the force she could muster.

Pitch stumbled backwards a step, more in surprise than anything. No one had ever manhandled him like that. And now, a child? He didn't fall, but he was stunned.

Melissa however didn't hesitate. She dove for the tooth, grabbed it and bailed. She dashed towards the jungle and when she reached the first trees, she actually looked back over her shoulder and seeing this so called Nightmare King's dumbfounded expression she grinned and stuck her tongue out at him.

Perhaps she shouldn't have done that, because instantly his expression changed into one of raging fury.

"Don't stand there like posts!" he screamed at the monkeys. "Seize her! Bring me that tooth at any cost!"

His maniacal voice rung in her ears and Melissa forced her beaten body to move faster. She rushed through the foliage running at full speed, stumbling over roots and other obstacles she could not see in the darkness and she heard the maddening sounds of the monkey horde closing in on her.

She made it about fifty meter's maybe more into the dark wild forest before the first primates jumped down on her from the trees. Somewhere far away she heard Katherine's desperate voice. She was screaming.

"Liiiiz!"

The monkeys were upon her, clawing at the hand that held the tooth. She pressed it to her aching chest and curled up around it. "Please Guardians!" she thought. "Hurry! I will try to give you as much time as I can, but please hurry!"

She was getting scratched, even bitten once or twice until she was finally beaten. About two dozen monkeys had seized her. They pulled at her arms and legs until they could get a hold of her hands.

They pried the tooth from her fist, nearly breaking her fingers in the process. And then, just like that, they dashed off with their price. And Melissa couldn't do anything about it. She felt her eyes burn. Pitch would take Katherine's precious memories after all. She had failed her best friend. Tears filled her eyes and she curled up again on the damp jungle ground and wept bitterly.

She had never felt so bad in her life, except for the time when her village had been run over and pillaged by a band of cossacks who had killed her mother, or when her father had been torn to pieces right before her eyes. But this was different. She had tried so hard to protect what was most precious to her best friend and had failed completely.

But perhaps the Guardians were already there, she wondered suddenly. Perhaps they had intercepted the inevitable? Perhaps Katherine had done something just as crazy and suicidal? Perhaps her friend was in mortal danger! She sat up with a start and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Yes, she had failed, but she would not desert Katherine. She had to find her again. She would not leave her alone with that monster! She made it to her feet and quickly examined her injuries. Her bruised chest was still the worst. She had a few scratches and bite marks that hurt a bit but didn't even bleed. She could stand and she could run. And so she hurried back, the way she thought she had come.

But it was so dark all around her. She could not tell for sure if she was running in the right direction. But she thought she heard the monkeys somewhere not too far away. She stopped and listened carefully and once she was sure where the noises came from she headed on.

It still took her quite a while to find the place again but then she could see the outlines of the ancient city through the trees and the shieking of the monkeys was making her ears sore.

She could see them too now. They seemed to be dancing... _dancing_! Like wild men in a circle around... Katherine!

Her friend appeared to be unhurt but very, very unhappy.

She crawled closer still but then nearly jumped out of her skin when her hands touched something soft and furry on the dark ground. She gasped silently and then recognized the familiar touch of the hideous cloak she had been wearing. Should she disguise again? Would those monkeys still fall for it? They seemed stupid enough.

Melissa nodded to herself and pulled the cloak back on. The mere weight of it made her feel a bit safer. And then she wondered if she should actually join the cheerful band of bouncing apes. She looked up into the dark sky desperately. What was she supposed to do? But as she looked she suddenly noticed a faint glow. A tiny light in the darkness and it grew bigger and then split in two. She recognized those lights. She had seen the glow of the spectral boy and would recognize it anywhere. The other one was different and more colorful but it brought a smile to her face.

"The Queen Toothiana! She must have joined forces with the Guardians! How wonderful! They are coming!" she whispered to herself and hope exploded within her like a firework. She smiled wildly and really did feel like dancing now. She rushed forwards to join the monkeys but the moment she reached them, they fell silent and took a few steps back.

Melissa craned her neck to look over them and she cringed almost instantly. Pitch was back. He had grabbed Katherine by the back of her coat and was now tying her to a pole.

"The fiend" she thought quite hatefully. "He's going to use her as bait... or as a hostage. But what could he want in exchange? What could be his ransom?"

While she was wondering about this, the monkeys around her started to move backwards, away from what was happening. She moved back with them and could feel a tension in the air as if a storm was approaching.

And then she saw the Guardians. They were all here! North, Ombric and Bunnymund, who looked like a distorted version of the Indian goddess Shiva with his six arms.

 _That must have been_ some _chocolate..._

Melissa's hurting chest nearly burst with hope when she saw them all . The monkeys were not even attacking them. But they were circling around the place where Pitch was holding his hostage captive.

 _Poor Kat...she is all bound and gagged.. I have to help her! I have to give her at least a chance to run!_

She backed away then, carefully and ever watchful, into the shadow cast by the largest building nearby. It looked like a temple of some sorts and she pressed her sore back against the cool stone wall as she moved along, trying hard to remain unseen as she sneaked around the rings of monkeys like a thief in the night to get behind Katherine somehow.

She could see that the monkeys were jumpy and nervous. Pitch seemed to notice it too but he paid them no heed. Melissa kept moving quietly away from the temple-like structure and finally made it to the spot she had had her eyes set on. She crawled behind the large fern and felt quite save now. As long as Pitch did not know she was there, he would never spot her. Besides, he had his back to her and his attention trained on the Guardians.

Melissa looked on as they approached. The four of them had not come alone though. The other children and their parents were following close behind them and so did Norths elfin-like friends. They were leading another monkey - a very strange looking creature indeed - in chains.

Then she noticed that something, or rather someone important was missing.

 _Where is Nightlight?_

She looked around but the spectral boy was nowhere to be seen.

At the same moment she heard the Nightmare King's voice and she looked back at the scene before her.

"One step more... and I'll make her mine!" He held his hand threateningly close to Katherine's forehead.

 _What is he babbling about?_

The Guardians however stopped their advance instantly.

 _Does that mean he could turn her into... his slave or something just by touching her? By touching her?_

Melissa shuddered involuntarily. She could barely believe that she had really dared to jump that monster, to push him... He had lifted her by her throat with no effort at all! He could have turned her... she had been so lucky that he had instantly dropped her the moment he had realized...

She felt really sick all of a sudden but she didn't have time to wonder about the what ifs because at the same moment he yelled a command and to Melissa's surprise and dismay, the monkeys obeyed him without hesitation.

Within seconds the place turned into a battlefield and chaos reigned. The monkeys attacked the Guardians, who fought like madmen themselves to protect the children, but they too had drawn daggers and were slashing away at the chattering horde.

It didn't look good for her friends, the only upside was the fact that there were suddenly no more furry obstacles between Melissa and Katherine. But Pitch had not moved from the spot. He simply stood there beside her friend, apparently enjoying the show. She could hear his cruel laughter over the sounds of battle.

As she watched him with an angry frown, she noticed that he held himself strangely. She could see his left hand, the one he seemed to always use. For some reason he never used his right one. She remembered however what Katherine and the other children had told her. Something had happened to his right hand, when he had tried to turn Nightlight into a fearling. And by the way he seemed to be favoring his right side, she could tell that it was still hindering him to some extend.

Melissa could see the glow of North's fantastic sword and the gleaming, egg-shaped relic on top of Bunnymund's staff. But they seemed to be the only sources of light. The sky had darkened, it was now as black as ink and the wind had picked up even more. Heavy clouds blocked out the stars and the moon and when she looked more carefully, she could see them rushing across the sky with enormous speed. The girl was quite sure she could hear the rumbling of thunder.

The ground before her was just as black as the sky above but in the glow of the Guardian's weapons she noticed something shiny, something reflecting the bit of light.

She crawled forward, leaving the safety of her hiding place to investigate. Yes! It was as she had thought. One of those wicked primates must have dropped the crudely fashioned dirk and Melissa finally had a weapon. But she did not join the fight.

Instead she remained flat on the ground and crawled toward her friend on her belly, using only her elbows to move forward.

Hoping that the Nightmare King would not chose this moment to turn around, she closed in on Katherine, using the deeper shadow of the pole she was tied to and the one Katherine cast herself for more cover.

Then she was there. She could touch her friends feet, but even more importantly, she could touch the vines that bound her to the pole.

Melissa grasped the dirk tightly and used the slightly curved blade to cut them, carefully as not to startle her friend. As she worked her way up and cut the vines around her legs, the girl stirred slightly. Moving her foot a bit. She had noticed what was happening but the dark-haired girl was relieved that she did not flinch.

She was on her knees now, severing the cords around Katherine's hands and then the rest of them that were tied around her chest.

Katherine didn't move, she stood stock still as she felt the vines fall away around her. Someone was behind her cutting her bonds. It was probably Nightlight, she thought. She could not see him anywhere on the battlefield. She was free to move now, but didn't dare to do so. She would wait for her friend's sign.

Then she felt a hand touching hers and something was placed inside it. Her fingers closed around a hilt that felt like a dagger or a large knife.

Melissa was not sure that giving away her only weapon was such a good idea, but she had never done battle like this before. She was a hunter and tracker, not a warrior and her friend had a lot more experience.

She was about to creep back to her hiding place when Ombric's voice rang out over the sounds of battle.

"Enough! Enough! We are beaten!"

The girl froze in horror.

Beaten? They were giving up? Just like that? What had happened to them? What would happen to Katherine now, and to her?

She could hear Pitch's gleeful cackle and wondered if she should just wrench the dirk out of Katherine's hand again and stick it into his back. The child bit her quivering lip, pondering. Would she be able to live with herself if she did?

She shook her head silently but didn't dare to move from the spot.

A unfamiliar female voice asked Pitch what he wanted.

"The flying Elephant" he answered evenly, as if this was the most normal request in the world. But then he started mocking Toothiana and the girl realized that it must have been her, who had asked the question. She had never heard her voice before.

And then her yaw dropped. _The flying elephant? Does that mean this is Queen Toothinana's home? Are we in Punjam Hy Loo?_

She wished she could see the Guardians and what was going on. But that pole and Katherine's legs blocked them from view and Melissa did not even dare to move a muscle to look around them. She felt her heart pound forcefully against her bruised ribcage, causing more pain, but she gritted her teeth and just listened.

She felt a twinge of anger at the Nightmare King's words. He had already won, there was no need to rub it in!

The Guardians didn't seem happy at all about this but Toothiana made up her mind when she finally told them that she could not let harm come to any child. And great harm would certainly come to Katherine, if she did not obey.

Melissa could hear Nicholas swearing, when Queen Toothiana called forth the elephant. The girl looked on in surprise and wonder as the doors of the temple she had just passed minutes ago really opened. For a moment everything was silent again, except for the roaring wind. But then they all heard and felt the thundering footsteps of the mighty beast approaching.

And then all hell broke loose yet again... The Guardians exploded into action. Spells went flying in all directions as the surprised monkeys were caught by their force and went flying as well. North yelled and Bunnymund roared a primal and fierce battlecry. The primates had been caught with their guard down and now as they realized they had been duped and that the tide had suddenly turned against them, many of them dropped their weapons and fled into the jungle. But some of them stayed and fought, more afraid of disobeying the Nightmare King than of defeat.

North's sword flashed back and forth while Bunnymund cut through the creatures with blades in each of his six hands like a hurricane and through the sudden commotion, the flying elephant burst out of the temple with a mighty bellow and in a flurry of giant wings, his dangerous tusks high as it went right for the startled Nightmare King.

Melissa gasped and rolled out of harms way. Katherine had the same idea and threw herself to the ground, landing on top of her friend who nearly yelped when the blade of the dirk dug into the ground not even an inch from her nose.

Then she heard Katherine's voice in her ear. "Liz! Oh dear moon! You are alright" she sobbed. "I thought they'd..." her voice broke off and she jumped to her feet to look around.

Pitch had not even known what hit him and now the elephant kept him pinned firmly to the ground. Melissa watched nervously as her friend slowly approached him.

She too struggled to get to her feet, looked over at the unsettling scene and noticed that for the first time she could see Pitch's right arm. It really looked different... paler, as if it was actually made of real flesh and not of shadow and darkness. His long fingers were clutching a silver locket.

The dark-haired girl bit her lip, wondering what to do or whether to do anything at all. Then she caught a glimpse of light out of the corner of her eye. _Nightlight!_

The spectral boy came flying down from one of the ruins where he had been hiding and waiting for just the right moment to strike. He was heading straight for the Nightmare King at full speed and with a fierce and strangely cold expression on his normally soft face. He was holding his diamond tipped spear at the ready.

And that was when Melissa realized that something was terribly wrong. Pitch was already beaten, there was no need for this - No need to kill him! She looked back at Katherine, who was right in the line of fire. The dark-haired girl didn't know if she knew about her glowing friend and his murderous intent and had knowingly stepped in to stop him.

Nightlight however wouldn't ever hurt Katherine, he called out for her to move aside, but the auburn-haired girl didn't budge and Melissa noticed with relief that he actually slowed down and lowered his weapon.

The elephant however seemed to notice it too. He lifted one of his enormous feet, ready to crush the fallen Nightmare King like a bug. That pulled Melissa out of her stupor. She rushed forward.

"No!"

There was simply no way she could stop the giant pachyderm with force. But she had to do something. She knew Katherine would do the same thing, but the girl had not noticed any of this yet. It was all happening behind her back while she was staring at the picture inside the locket. Melissa reached the flying elephant and beat her hands against one of the massive legs and whispered as loudly as she possibly could.

"Please... please don't!"

She didn't know if the elephant had heard her but it must have felt her touch. It actually stepped back and then looked down at her pale, frightened face. The huge animal had no expression but there was a sudden sparkle in his eye.

Melissa's hand was still on the elephant's leg but when she looked over at Katherine she dropped it. The fallen Nightmare King had grabbed her friends hand and she was looking down on him, not even trying to break free.

Then she saw the look on Pitch's face and a wave of sorrow washed over her that caused her breath to hitch in her throat. She reached out for Katherine's shoulder and the girl flinched slightly at her touch. She looked around at her and Melissa was startled to see that her expression almost matched Pitch's.

"Kat..." she breathed in horror. "They tried to..."

Her whisper was swallowed by the roar of the tempest that tore at their clothes and their hair. But Melissa understood perfectly how her friend felt, she felt exactly the same. They never knew that Nightlight came rushing down for them with an expression that said. _"Let go of my Katherine!"_

Because at the same moment a vicious bolt of lightning lit up the scene accompanied by a thunderclap that made both girls cringe and they clasped each others hands in fright.

They could barely stay on their feet. The storm was suddenly so strong! Lightning crackled, icy rain and hail were beating down on them and then, they really could not feel the ground beneath their feet anymore. All they felt was the wind buffeting them around. Melissa could hear Katherine scream but only for a moment. She tried to clasp her hand more tightly, not knowing what on earth was happening to them. But there were forces in the air that they could not withstand.

Her hand was sweaty and so was Katherine's. The wind seemed to whip the air away from her. She couldn't breathe and the last thing she felt, before everything went dark, was how her friend's fingers slipped from her grasp.


	5. Chapter 5

When she awoke, the first thing she felt was the cold and then the pain set in. Her body was aching and when she forced her eyes open she found that her nose was buried in snow. She pushed herself up, sneezed and then looked around. She was in some kind of forest or copse. The trees around her seemed ancient. They were huge and their massive branches seemed to reach even higher than Big Root. The thought made her smile for an instant but then she heard the voices.

She knew one of them. It was the Nightmare King, but still... he didn't quite sound like himself. Melissa was still too numb and shaky to actually understand what was being said, but Pitch sounded so... strange... so vulnerable and somehow hopeful.

Melissa shook her head, to clear it and to get rid of that dizzy feeling. She pushed herself up on her knees.

"You saved me!" she heard him say and could finally understand some of the words. Pitch sounded almost happy. It was strange to hear that tone in his voice after all the shouting and sneering she had heard from him earlier.

 _Yes earlier... what happened? Where am I? Where's Katherine? Were we really … kidnapped by a storm? Why is Pitch here too... and who is he talking too?_

Her mind was racing but she was quickly pulled out of her thoughts when she heard a second voice. A woman's voice and it sounded as fierce and cold as the snow that was biting into her skin.

"No, I didn't. It was the girl who saved you! The one you would make your Darkling Princess!" her voice was almost venomous and Melissa bit her lip. Were they talking about Katherine? Where was she?

She looked around but could not see her friend anywhere but she was sure that she was somewhere close by.

"Had you forgotten me? Your own daughter?" the strange woman asked and Melissa nearly choked.

 _His daughter? Wait... She's alive?_

And for a moment, she felt a deep surge of jealousy. This woman had lost her father, just like herself. But now they were together again. Not some adoptive parent... no. Her _real_ father! She had to be so happy. According to what Katherine had told her about the moment when she had shown Pitch that picture... he loved his daughter with a passion.

 _Why does she sound so angry? She should be happy... she should be beside herself with joy! What is wrong with that woman?_

"No! I... I never for a moment forgot you!" the Nightmare King cried and it was more his voice than his words that told Melissa it had to be true. The man really loved his daughter above anything. He had probably not even known that she had survived this fearling attack, or whatever it had been, and was here on Earth too.

The girl could understand that Pitch was overwhelmed to see her. Until minutes ago, he must have thought that he would never do so again. He had to be so glad that she was alright, but why was she talking to him like this? Why was she so... outraged? Shouldn't she be just as happy or at least relieved?

Melissa forced herself to move. First she crawled but the snow was so hard and cold that it made her hands hurt. She used a tree for support and got to her feet. She wanted to hear better, she wanted to see what was going on.

She inched forward using the mighty trees as cover and soon she could hear their voices more clearly as she closed in on the spot. Pitch's daughter was accusing him for not coming to find her and he claimed that he had tried. But was that true? Melissa wondered. From what she knew, he must have believed her dead. But his voice... she just couldn't stomach to hear him like this. He sounded so desperate.

She dragged herself forward to the next tree and could now look down into a small clearing beyond. There they were and Melissa was not quite sure what she should marvel at first. The sight of Pitch on his knees before this obviously powerful woman, or the woman herself.

She was clad in a dress that seemed to sprout right from her body. It was mostly green, mixed with brown and when Melissa squinted her eyes she realized that it was made completely of tiny leafs that covered her from chest to toe.

Only her arms and white shoulders were bare but covered by cascades of long, silky black hair that fell down around her like an inky waterfall. She was lovely to behold... but the image of beauty was disturbed by her distorted face and the hatred in her eyes.

Melissa could feel the air around her grow even colder. It started to snow furiously and within moments she found herself caught in a Blizzard.

"You failed me, father!" the fearsome woman said chillingly. "You abandoned me when I needed you most! I waited for you, alone and lost! And you never came for me!"

Pitch was still on his knees, looking up at her and his face was contorted with such anguish that Melissa bit her lip and turned away. She eased her aching back against the tree and closed her eyes. She could not watch this. But she could not block out his voice either.

"I thought you were dead!" he wailed. "I thought I had lost everything worth living for... I had no idea... why did you come for me now?"

A part of Melissa ordered herself to cover her ears, she didn't want to hear any more of this. But the other part, the curious one made her clench her fists and listen.

"I was merely curious" the fearsome Lady spat. "I wanted to see how a once great man could have fallen so low."

There was a strange sound and she could hear Pitch whimper... _whimper!_

Melissa dared to peek around the tree and realized that the woman must have kicked him.

"Do not expect me to help you again, father!" she snapped, mockingly. "You are not worth the trouble. I will remain neutral but but only under one condition!" She said coldly and gave him another kick as he crawled away from her.

 _Oh my gods... she is even worse than him! Why does she have to be so cruel?_

"You will not make that girl your darkling daughter! I am your only child, for good or ill. But if you disobey me... I will destroy you without fail."

They were moving away and Melissa could not see them anymore though the dense snowflakes. She was freezing and could barely keep her teeth from clattering.

 _I knew I should have kept that horrid cloak._

She had no idea where she was or how she was supposed to get out of here. Now that the snowstorm slowly died down, she could see the thin outline of mountains around her, even higher than those ancient trees. It seemed like a vast pothole surrounded by snow-tipped peaks. How was she supposed to ever escape from that place? And where was Katherine?

But just standing there wondering made her freeze even more. So she began to move again. She headed for the next mountain side and decided to follow it. Perhaps she would find some cave where she could rest or even a path out of this death trap.

She had walked for about ten minutes when a sudden voice behind her almost turned her into an icicle.

"And where do you think _you_ are going?"

 _Holy shit... it's her!_

Melissa turned around slowly, knowing whom she was about to face and remembering what she had heard just minutes ago, she couldn't help but frown.

The woman, Pitch's daughter studied her from tip to toe with curiosity.

"Why did you even have to get involved?" she asked and now she sounded almost sorry.

"Katherine is my best friend" Melissa whispered flatly.

"Ah, the girl. You wanted to stay with her, to save her perhaps?"

Melissa nodded. "Who are you?"

The woman pulled a face. Was she pouting? "You haven't figured it out?"

"You are the Nightmare King's daughter" Melissa shrugged.

"I am a lot more than that, girl. I am Mother Nature!"

The girl's eyes nearly popped out of her head, they grew that wide.

 _Oh dear moon!... Alright... that explains the strange weather and the storm that captured us... but..._

"So you really didn't know. Even though you watched us, didn't you? I could feel your presence close by."

Melissa was thoroughly confused but she nodded. She was a living being... certainly … Mother Nature would be able to sense her in which way ever. She was a most powerful … what? Just _what_ was she?

The girl had no answer for that, so she asked the question that was filling most of her mind.

"Why do you hate him so much?"

Mother Nature furrowed her brow and graced the young girl with an icy glare.

"He abandoned me!"

"I'm sure you know he didn't mean to" Melissa whispered and gesticulated in agitation. "He didn't even know you survived. Everyone thought you were dead!"

"But he _should_ have known! He should have at least investigated!"

"I am sure he tried!" the girl argued silently. She could feel her temper acting up. She could not get Pitch's voice out of her head. And she could not forget that sudden jealousy or the way she had suddenly felt sorry for their enemy. But the woman merely glared at her with those cold eyes.

"What is your problem anyway, child? Don't you know what he could have done to you?"

Melissa shrugged. Was she right? No... Pitch had been beaten, he had been so close to being killed. And this woman, his own daughter hated him, just because he had never found her.

"I understand that you feel bad" she whispered, trying to remain calm and sensible. "I know how hard it is to grow up without parents. But honestly... If _my_ father somehow was miraculously returned to me, I'd be so happy. Why aren't you?"

" _Happy?"_ Mother Nature snapped at her. "I knew he was around. I knew he was alive and I have been watching him ever since he crawled out of that cave! I've been everywhere around him and he never even noticed me!"

The girl felt herself shrink under the angry glare of her mossy green eyes and she knew that silence would have been the smartest reply. But somehow, all those bottled up emotions were suddenly running wild and she could not keep her mouth shut.

"But you never showed yourself to him, have you?" she whispered sternly. "Did you ever give him a real chance to make things up to you?"

The air grew colder instantly and the snowstorm picked up anew. Melissa shivered in her dress. Her teeth were clattering and she couldn't help it.

"I am not standing trial to some human child" Mother Nature roared and Melissa was pushed backward and nearly knocked over by a blast of icy air.

"But he is your father!" she gasped trying to push against the sudden gale.

"He is a monster!" Mother Nature yelled back at her. Melissa had no idea how she was even able to hear her... perhaps she was reading her mind.

"I'd be beside myself with joy if my dead father came back to me. Do you even know how lucky you are? You have been given a second chance! You should embrace it! I just can't understand why you don't feel that way!" she tried to shout, but all she could produce was a hoarse whisper. That however couldn't stop her now. Listening to that strange conversation earlier had left her angry and disturbed. Now all Mother Nature had achieved was to rile her up more.

"I am so jealous of you!" she would have shouted if she could. "You had lost your papa but he came back and all you can do is... spit in his face and call him a monster? Why?"

"You have no idea what I have been through!" Mother Nature growled and suddenly vines shot out of her palms. They wrapped themselves around Melissa's wrists and held her firmly in place. Just for a moment the girl looked startled down at her bound hands but this new situation did little to dampen her ire.

"Yes I do!" she hissed angrily. "I am going through it right now!"

The next thing she felt was searing pain when the vines moved with unimaginable force and slammed her into one of the mighty trees.

Melissa had the air knocked out of her and for a moment she saw stars dancing before her eyes. Then however favoring her bruised side and gritting her teeth she struggled back to her feet and tried hard to ignore the pain.

"You are not a bit better than him" she snarled back at the powerful woman. "No matter how pretty you are, you are vile and angry and hateful underneath!"

Mother Nature gasped at this accusation. But Melissa was quite out of control by now. The pain gave her new strength and she was upset and mad beyond reason.

"You are a horrible person! Do you have any idea how much Pitch loves you? Because he does... he loves you so much... perhaps more than my father ever loved me! If he had had any idea, any clue that you had survived, he would have searched the farthest regions of space for you... but he had believed that he had lost everything and that's why he became like this. He had lost you! He had lost hope! Do you have any idea how much you must have hurt him just now? Why are you so vicious and cruel? I thought _he_ was evil... but _you_... _you..._ "

The vines around her left wrist tightened again and before she knew what was happening, she was ripped from her feet and was flying through the air. She wanted to scream in fear and pain but not even a scrap of sound made it over her lips.

But she felt as if her arm was being torn from her torso, the pain was unbearable and at this very moment she knew for certain that she was about to die, even before she hit the tree. The impact made her dizzy for an instant and then darkness embraced her.

Mother Nature walked slowly up to her, looked down at the girl's lifeless body and huffed. "Insolent brat!" But deep in her heart she felt sorrow and guilt for what she had done. She stared at her for another moment and then turned her back and took to the air. She had no more business here. If those Guardians wanted that girl back, they would find her. If they didn't... well in that case... she probably wasn't worth saving.

̋͠

The Nightmare King had escaped from his daughter's wrath. He had taken Katherine with him, but _she_ could be sure that he would not oppose her. She had intimidated him and Pitch knew now, that she had the power to undo him whenever she felt like it.

It was true. Pitch knew it as he watched his fearsome daughter and this strange girl talk to each other in the pothole below. He had an unconscious child with him already... the one he had wanted. But he could not turn her now... not after this.

This other one however, her friend, was a different matter.

She had managed to trick him, but without much success. She didn't fear him as she should which was somewhat disturbing and she had, what did they call it? Right! Guts! Of course she had those... ridiculous human expressions! But to jump him like that, to _shove_ him, even mock him... and then to have the nerve to come back and stop that blasted elephant from crushing him... she was a strange one indeed. What was she thinking? What where her motives? He wondered as he watched the scene unfold deep below.

When it was over, his estranged daughter who hated him just left. The girl was down and the snow around her head was slowly beginning to turn red. Had she killed her? Had his own beloved daughter really just killed a child in cold blood? No, she was still alive. He could feel it.

He had the child he wanted... he should leave and go on with his plan. But the sight of the dying girl down there bothered him for reasons he did not quite understand. He had heard his daughter, Mother Nature, yell at her but he had not heard the girl talking. Why? Why had she been so angry at this child? It was so very intriguing.

So when he was finally sure that Mother Nature was far away. He made his way back down into the copse and picked up yet another limp body.


	6. Chapter 6

When Melissa awoke she was not sure whether she was dead or alive. The first seemed more likely. She felt nothing, sensed nothing and everything was dark. There had been far too much darkness around her lately. But when she tried to move there was an explosion of pain. Her bruised chest was nothing compared to what she felt now. She felt as if her left arm had been ripped off and she groaned voicelessly.

The searing pain also made her realize that she was actually alive. But what had happened to her? Where was she? Had she become blind? Everything was so dark...

She clasped her bad shoulder and forced herself to sit up on what felt like a pile of furs and underneath was crude, uneven rock.

"Ouch" she breathed and then unexpectedly she heard someone laugh. A deep, silky chuckle... she knew that voice...

"Aww... look who is finally back amongst the living!"

 _Pitch!_

She looked around with wide eyes but all she could see was this impenetrable darkness surrounding her on every side.

"You!" she hissed and suddenly she remembered everything... or almost everything. She scowled.

"You know, this is a very poor way to express your gratitude for me saving your life" the Nightmare King said quietly but with an air of disdain.

 _He saved my life?_

Melissa racked her brains to remember. She knew she had been in Punjam Hy Loo, remembered the monkeys, the battle and the flying elephant and then the storm and then... oh, right... Mother Nature! The Nightmare King's daughter was alive and perhaps even more hateful than him. She had hurt her, badly, but had she really left her out there to die? She had been angry enough after all the nasty things she had called her. But had that evil man really saved her? It did seem so. She was not out in that freezing snow anymore.

"Sorry" Melissa whispered in defeat. She didn't know any better and she did somehow appreciate being alive. "Thank you."

"That's better" Pitch said evenly and than he suddenly snarled. "Now, get up!"

Melissa did her best to obey, she felt dizzy and disoriented in the darkness and also very weak and exhausted. Also her shoulder hurt like hell. She could hardly breath. Yet somehow she made it to her feet.

But before she had even gained her balance she was being yanked forward. Someone - Pitch obviously had a grasp on the collar of her dress and was forcing her to move.

"Come along you stinking brat" he growled and dragged her through the darkness.

Melissa could do little to oppose him. She could not see a thing and had to trust him, whether she wanted or not. She was completely at his mercy and wondered if he even knew the meaning of that word.

"Is Katherine here too?" she dared to ask.

"She's close by" the Nightmare King replied. She could almost hear that dark and evil grin on his face.

"Where is she? What have you done to her?" she gasped fearfully.

"That is none of your business, brat. And speak up when you talk to me!" Pitch huffed and gave her a good shake that nearly made her bite down on her tongue.

"I can't speak up!" she hissed angrily, her fear smothered by her sudden frustration. "Now, what have you done to my friend?"

Pitch whirled around and grasped her more firmly. "None. Of. Your. Business!" he reminded her, giving another good shake with every word for emphasis. Then he just stared at her for a moment, wondering. "What the heck is wrong with your horrid voice anyway?"

"That... is none of _your_ business!" she spat back at him.

Then she sighed. Now he was probably really angry with her and she would pay the price for her insolence in a moment. She tensed but the blow she was expecting didn't come. He only grabbed her collar more tightly and pulled her deeper into the darkness.

Slowly she was forced to climb down a great number of steps that she could not see but her eyes were beginning to adjust and she could make out blurry shapes in the blackness, ragged walls to her right but little more. When they had reached the bottom of the stairs Pitch actually let go of her.

"Follow me!" he ordered.

There was little else she could do but Melissa could barely see where she was going. All she saw was another dark place that her eyes could not penetrate. She stumbled forward and then reached out for her guide instinctively. She found his left hand and felt more secure immediately. But then her eyes widened.

 _Oh gods... what on earth am I doing?_

His fingers closed around hers for a split second only and then he stopped and shook her off as if she had bitten him.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked but his voice was not quite as vicious as she remembered it. It sounded almost a bit shaky.

"What do _you_ think?" she hissed back at him. "I am only human! I can't see a thing in this darkness!"

The Nightmare King seemed to consider this for a moment, Melissa was not quite sure but he didn't say a word for a few long seconds. Then he sighed in defeat and placed his hand firmly on her left shoulder, trying to push her along.

Melissa let out a silent scream of pure agony. She gasped at the eye-watering pain and used her right hand to push him away.

"You dare..." he snarled, wondering what was wrong with that kid.

"Do _not_ touch my shoulder!" she whimpered in silent pain, but Pitch, who was used to silence heard her quite clearly.

"What..." he whispered himself.

"It hurts... a lot" Melissa almost sobbed. "My shoulder..."

The Nightmare King stared down at his peculiar captive, studying her from tip to toe. She had quite a few scratches and bruises. There was a more prominent one at the side of her head. It had bled a lot, but he had treated it and it was much better already. Apart from that he had not noticed anything more serious.

But he had seen how she had been slammed into those trees. She did not look at him. In fact she had squeezed her eyes shut and was trying very hard to hold back the tears. With little success as he could clearly see.

"Take off that rag!" he ordered and at this, her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him with a thoroughly incredulous expression on her pale face.

"What?" she whispered and he could sense her sudden fear.

 _What is he playing at? Is he going to add child abuse to his list of crimes now?_

"Do it now, or I will do it for you!" he growled threateningly. It was a promise of more pain and Melissa considered her options. What choice did she even have?

She wiped the tears from her face with the sleeve of her good arm and started to unbutton the top her her dress with a shaking hand. The dress was still a bit damp from the snow and she was freezing.

Pitch watched her closely but mistook her shivering for fear. She was scared however, not truly terrified but scared. For him that was quite a pleasant vision.

Melissa gulped down the lump in her throat and carefully started to peel the cloth from her injured arm and even though she did it as gently as she could, the searing pain brought new tears to her eyes.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her lower arm. But Pitch simply held it in place while she pushed the rest of the sleeve over her hand.

"That will suffice" he said quietly and then examined her shoulder. The girl gulped again but this time in surprise. That's enough? She wondered and had to admit that she had expected something much worse. She could not see his face but heard him grind his teeth for some reason.

"Stand against the wall" he ordered then.

 _Wall? What wall? What is he going to do?_

She looked around fearfully and then... "Oh... _that_ wall" It was not even three steps away. She stumbled forward and leaned her back against it.

The Nightmare King followed her, she could feel it. And when she looked up, she could actually see his outline, even darker against the surrounding gloom.

He reached out for her and she flinched, but he merely turned her, so that her good shoulder was placed firmly against the rock.

"This way, you can't back out" he said and added a warning. "Now brace yourself!"

Melissa's eyes widened and she tried to get away, but Pitch stopped her easily and held her in place. "Stay put!" he ordered angrily and grabbed her arm again. The injured one and the girl winced in pain.

He moved it, to the front at first, stretching it, then he forced her to bend her elbow until her hand was on eye-level with her. She wanted to cry out in agony but all she could do was gasp for breath as fresh tears ran down her cheeks. It hurt so bad.

She had no idea what he was doing but there was nothing at all she could do to stop him. She had not known he was into torture, but after all she had heard about him, she was not really surprised.

He moved her arm again, this time outward, bending her wrist at the same time so it faced away from her too. Melissa closed her eyes, she felt like dying. Why did he have to be so cruel?

But when he suddenly moved her arm straight up, she really screamed in pain, though no sound came out her mouth. She felt her shoulder pop and then, all of a sudden Pitch let go of her and she fell to her knees, cradling her arm against her bruised chest.

"Better?" he asked and for a moment Melissa wanted nothing more than to yell at him and call him all the bad names she had ever heard. But then she realized that her shoulder did indeed feel better. It was still throbbing with pain, but not nearly as bad as it had before.

She stared up at the shape of his face in disbelief.

"Actually" she whispered, trying not to sob. "Actually... it is! What did you do?"

"It was dislocated. I merely put it back in place. But you should treat it with care for a while, now get up! I don't have all day!"

Melissa was too stunned to disobey him. She made it to her feet and did not complain when he grabbed her collar again and moved her along.

"I wonder" he said after a while as they passed through a rather long and even darker tunnel. "What did you say to her to make her so angry?"

"Huh?" she breathed and for a moment had no idea what he was talking about but then after a few seconds it hit her. She bit her lip. She could not possibly tell him that... Ever!

"Tell me!" he ordered.

She sighed and shrugged her good right shoulder. "I guess I did something really stupid."

"And what was that?"

Melissa squinted her eyes and looked up at him. She could merely make out his silhouette in the dense gloom but he sounded quite civil and strangely curious.

She sighed. "I have that really bad habit of speaking my mind when something vexes me" she admitted. "She didn't like it."

But the Nightmare King was far from satisfied with that answer. He wanted to know more. He had watched the scene but had only caught Mother Nature's angry words. He knew they had been talking about him. And from what he had understood, the girl had for some unimaginable reason taken his side. He had to know why. He wanted every detail.

"What did you say to her?" he asked again, trying to sound a bit more friendly but only succeeded in the girl furrowing her brow.

She had noticed the change of his tone but she pinched her lips together. She could not tell him that.

"Come on, you can tell me" he cooed, no he actually begged, softly and Melissa stared up at him in surprise. He let go of her collar and just placed his hand on her back almost gently.

"No, I can't" she insisted however but it took all her determination to remain firm. He was playing nicely only to wrench the information from her. He was pretending to be her friend just to coax her into talking. How stupid did he think she was? But in spite of her resolve, she suddenly could imagine herself telling him everything. And she was almost tempted to do so. What harm could come from it? But then she shook her head violently.

"I am sorry... but I can't! I really don't want to talk about it."

 _Why on earth am I even apologizing to him?_

Her captor sighed again and pushed her along with just a bit more force. The girl was a hard nut to crack indeed. He would need a different approach. Maybe if he somehow got her to trust him...

"That's ridiculous!" he thought to himself. "I should threaten her! Beat the answers out of her if need be! Maybe I should turn her into a fearling. _She_ made me promise I would not touch that Guardian girl, but she said nothing about this one..."

He shrugged as they moved along and kept wondering if this was really such a good idea. He knew nothing about this child. She was one of those Santoff Claussen brats for sure, but he had never seen her before. Not when he had possessed their bear and had nearly succeeded in bringing that cursed, dream infested village to an end, and neither at the Earth's core. She had not been among his hostages. "She must be new" he thought. "Probably just moved there recently, but she does have a connection with that Katherine girl."

He recalled the moment, when this child had jumped him, disguised as a monkey. She had not even been afraid of him then, but he could tell that she was learning to fear him now. And about time too, he was the Nightmare King after all – the personification of fear. He chuckled silently and felt the girl looking up at him nervousily as he pondered on.

She had disguised herself as one of his pawns. That was one of his own tactics, the girl had some potential. She would perhaps make a wonderful darkling princess. She could be just like him. He would finally have some company besides those shadowy fearlings, his slaves... they were always there but were not exactly what one would call good company. They could speak, but had nothing much to say. They were merely there to carry out his commands and do the dirty work.

Now this girl here might really prove to be perfect for what he had in mind. But he would need to get to know her better to be sure. And he wanted revenge on the Guardians – he craved it. He had to find out what she was to them. If they cared about her as much as they cared for that other girl, the one he had locked up in a cave above, turning her would give him even more pleasure.

Melissa watched his face. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness now and she felt uneasy about that sinister smile. But she also had to keep her eyes on the ground. It was uneven and since he was merely guiding her now, she had to take care not to stumble.

He had not said a word in a long time and she was wondering what he was thinking. But then she was distracted as they entered a large chamber. And she could finally see clearly again. Strange blue fires gave some light to the cavern. It was vast. And they were not alone. Shadowy creatures that had no real features were swarming the place like schools of creepy jellyfish.

 _Fearlings..._

Melissa gulped and felt her skin crawl.

 _How creepy..._

She looked around. At the far end of the cavern she could see a few long tables and weapon stands. Fearlings seemed to be at work over there, fashioning … well weapons probably. This seemed to be some kind or armory or workshop.

A creaking sound made her look up and there, high above her were cages – dozens of them. They hung from the dark ceiling by thick chains and came in a variety of sizes. Melissa remembered the story the other children had told her about that last battle. They had been locked up in cages! It made her wonder.

She looked up at the Nightmare King fearfully.

"Um... Pitch?" she dared to ask and instantly his gaze was upon her. He looked slightly surprised at being so boldly addressed. "Are we... at the center of the Earth?"

He stared at her for a moment and then shook his head with a rather blank expression.

"No child. I … sort of... changed address" he told her quietly, realizing that she must have heard stories. He looked up at the cages and his dark smile promptly returned. "I merely brought some things along, that I thought might be useful in the future."

"Ah... I see..." she breathed and looked around again, more in wonder than in fear. He pushed her forward again and she was forced to look down again to see where she was stepping.

"Stand back" Pitch said suddenly and let go of her again as he passed her by. Melissa instantly felt a surge of panic as she watched those fearlings drawing closer to her. But she didn't dare to move. Instead she looked over at the Nightmare King, who had approached some kind of control desk and pulled a lever.

Chains creaked high above them and Melissa looked up. One of the cages, a rather large one that looked slightly different from the others had started to descend. It had a strange, eery glow to it and Melissa felt dread creeping up her spine.

 _Of course. He's going to lock me up... but then what?_

She watched the cage coming down until it finally touched the ground and the chain holding it slackened. And then Pitch was right next to her again, forcing her towards it.

"What are you going to do with me?" she whispered and Pitch was rather satisfied when he sensed her fear.

"For now" he said with a most sinister grin "You will serve as my plan B. But I don't think that will be necessary. However, I think you would make a fine fearling."

He relished in the girl's sudden panic.

"Now, get into the cage!" he spat. Suddenly his angry and hateful voice was back and she cringed at the sound.

Melissa did as she was told but felt like crying. She did not want to be turned into one of those vile shadow creatures. But when she heard the cage door close behind her, she turned around and steeled herself before she looked back at the Nightmare King through the criss-cross of bars that would be her prison.

"What if I don't want to become a fearling?" she dared to ask.

"Then, I guess, you are of no further use to me" Pitch said evenly and shrugged. Then he turned around and left, but the cage remained on the ground.

Melissa was imprisoned and she knew there was no way out of this horrid bird-cage of doom. There was no way she could squeeze through any of these bars. They were thin but also weaved into each other like a wicker basket.

The gaps in between were just large enough for her hand to fit through but without a key, she would never make it out of here. She could feel her hope sink to a below zero level. She was done for. She would either be turned into a fearling or be killed. She sat down on the cold floor and cradled her still throbbing arm, wondering just how much time she had.

She sat there for a mere few minutes when Pitch was suddenly back. He opened the cage door and threw in a bundle of what looked like furs.

"Get some rest" he advised and locked her cage again.

Melissa watched him as he walked away, back to that control desk and pushed the lever. Her cage began to rise up and the girl crawled over to the bars. The ground below her moved away quickly and she was getting a bit dizzy. The cage was swinging slightly and made her stomach lurch.

She took several deep breaths and then resigned. There was nothing she could do. She did not want to die and she started to wonder what being a fearling would be like. Perhaps she should ask one. There were plenty of them around. They were actually circling her cell and as she nervously noticed, they were coming closer. She could see their hollow eyes and gaping mouths. They had long spindly arms and claws but no feet. They looked like ghosts made of shadow but were a lot more fearsome.

Melissa closed her eyes and remembered the other night, when she had walked the woods around Santoff Claussen with Bunnymund. She had asked him what had happened to Pitch's family and he had told her that they had been probably killed by fearlings or dream pirates as they had been called back then. She wondered again... why was he even keeping these things around if they were responsible for all the bad things that had happened to him?

 _What if he doesn't even know?_

Then she just huffed and shrugged her good shoulder. She had to stop feeling sympathetic for this creep. He was probably as evil a monster as the other children had said. She didn't even want to think about what he was doing to Katherine probably right now.

She looked at the bundle he had thrown in and since she had nothing better to do, she examined it. It contained a few furs and some sort of blanket. At least she wouldn't have to sleep on the cold metal.

… _actually kind of thoughtful of him..._

No! she thought then. She would not fall for this. He was probably still playing Mr. Nice Guy to get her talking.

An eerie, scraping sound pulled her out of her thoughts and she whirled around. The fearlings were at the door! They were actually surrounding almost the entire cage, scratching their claws across the the bars , trying to get in.

Melissa let out a small sob as she cowered on the ground in the center of her prison. Her heart was racing and she knew she was beginning to panic. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide... except for...

She curled up into a tight ball on her furs and made herself as small as she could as she pulled the blanket up and over her head as tears started to leak from her eyes yet again. But this time she cried because she was really truly terrified.

The scratching continued and she could hear the shadowy creatures hiss at her in their frustration. They could sense her fear but could not get at it. They could not get in.

And then after a few minutes that seemed like hours to Melissa, she could hear the Nightmare King's angry voice from deep below.

"What are you doing? Get down here at once!" he yelled madly. "She is _not_ for you! Is that understood?"

The scratching stopped instantly but Melissa didn't dare to peek out from her cover. Somewhere below, she heard him mutter something like "At least not yet."

 _Not yet..._

She sobbed at the thought but felt herself relax slowly. She was utterly exhausted from all the fear, the pain and the strange things she had seen, heard and felt. Right now, she just wanted to stop thinking, to stop feeling. She was so tired as if she hadn't slept in a week.

͠

When she awoke next, she could not tell how much time had passed. It could have been mere minutes or days later and for one confusing moment, she could not remember where she was. But when she saw the bars around her, it all came back to her.

Somehow a bit of sleep had calmed her. She didn't feel quite as anxious as before and more thoughtful. She could hear someone talking down below her but she could not understand any words. She stretched her arms and was promptly reminded, that she had to be careful with her left shoulder.

"Ouch" she gasped more in surprise than in pain. It didn't really hurt that much anymore. Her chest and that bruise she had on her back were more painful now but neither of them hindered her much.

Curiously, she crept to the bars and looked down. It was dark, darker than before but she could see well enough. A few of those strange blue fires had gone out but others were still burning brightly, sending haunting shadows across the walls of the enormous cave.

And just down there, a bit to her right, she saw the Nightmare King himself. He sat on a crude bench at some kind of work table with tools and small parts scattered all over it and was obviously tinkering with something, muttering to himself as he worked.

 _What is he doing?_ Melissa wondered.

 _Probably inventing some new kind of weapon or some other hideous mischief..._

She nodded to herself and kept watching, moving over a bit to get a better look. Then her hand brushed against something strange. She gasped in fright but then calmed down instantly when she looked to her side.

Someone... Pitch obviously had placed a plate there. It held two small apples, a bit of bread and a chunk of something that looked like cheese. Next to it stood a jar full of water.

 _Oh nice... at least he is not letting me starve to death..._

But the idea that he had entered her cage while she was asleep somehow gave her a severe case of the goosebumps. She shrugged them off quickly though. He had not harmed her. She was alright. She picked up an apple and sniffed at it carefully before taking a bite. She had not noticed it before but she was really hungry and the fruit was surprisingly sweet and a bit mellow, as if it had been stored for a while.

The girl ate quite contently while she watched her captor at work, still wondering what he was actually working on. But then she suddenly remembered those fearlings and looked around warily. They were there, not as many as she had seen before but a cluster of them were gathered in the darkness of that armory. Melissa could not see them clearly but she noticed the movement of shadows that had nothing to do with the flickering fires.

She knew they were there and close together too, almost melting into one another. She frowned. Alright, they were only shadows after all... little more than that. But the way they stuck together... it made her wonder if they were up to something. Probably discussing a plan how to get into her cage. The girl shuddered and suddenly she didn't feel so hungry anymore.

She forced her eyes away from the creatures and watched Pitch instead. He held a small item up before him and then nodded to himself. She could hear him chuckle as the tossed the small thing into the air and caught it again. There was a small popping sound and in an instant the King of Nightmares was hidden within an orb of impenetrable darkness.

"Crap! Damn it all!" he cursed at the top of his voice and Melissa's yaw dropped in surprise.

"Why is this not working?" he hollered.

The girl stared. To her it had looked like it worked perfectly.

"Crud" Pitch huffed and stepped out of the darkness, that slowly crumbled in on itself. He sounded pretty angry and even more frustrated. She kept watching however as he paced up and down the length of the bench in agitation, talking to himself.

"No matter what I try, the blasted things keep going off when they are not supposed to. _What_ the hell am I doing _wrong?_ "

 _Aaahh... so that is the problem!_

Melissa grinned to herself as Pitch glared down hatefully at the parts that lay scattered on the table. Then he sat down again, growling.

The girl picked up another apple and the chunk of cheese. Her fear of the living shadows was forgotten. This might actually be amusing to watch.

And it was. She observed as he worked on three more of the strange, pebble sized objects that she could barely see from her cage but every time he handled them with a little less care they practically exploded into his face and she could not help but giggle gleefully at all the cursing and swearing. Things were obviously not going his was but she kind of admired his tenacity and patience. He didn't seem willing to give up on his endeavor.

 _Or maybe he is just a really stubborn dork..._

Then finally after one last failure, he threw up his hands in despair as the instant darkness dissolved around him. An moment later his arms fell to his sides and his shoulders sagged.

"Enough" he sighed. "I've had enough of this... maybe tomorrow..." he muttered and then just slumped down on his bench, burying his face in his hands.

Melissa bit her lip. Suddenly she felt bad for laughing at him as she had done during the last hour. She had to admit that he looked pretty exhausted too.

"Does that guy ever sleep?" She wondered silently. But then she noticed movement from the other end of the creepy workshop and looked around. The fearlings were moving, swarming actually and there where more than she would have thought. They came forward like a wall of darkness.

"What..." she gasped as she saw them closing in on the Nightmare King like a tidal wave. And before she could even understand what was happening they were upon him.

"Hey... what!" he gasped audibly. "What are you.. aarrhh... stop! Stand back!" Pitch yelled in startled surprise, trying to fight them off. But for every fearling he managed to shove aside, three more were at him instantly.

 _Oh gods... what...is happening?_

"Stand back!... Get off me! Leave me in... STOP! I COMMAND YOU TO STOP! "

Melissa watched in horror as Pitch's shadowy minions turned on him. He was on the ground and on his back in mere instants but he kept fighting, beating and kicking.

"Aaaaarrhh... gerroff... I am... no... noooo..."

But they did not get off. More fearlings emerged from the shadows all around the cave and joined their comrades for what seamed like a feast to them.

The girl did not want to watch, but she could not pull her eyes away from the scene. Those creatures seemed to be... feeding on him. She had no idea what they were consuming but he was getting weaker. He was still fighting but his movements became less coordinated by the minute, doing no harm to them at all.

He had stopped shouting and yelling and was now merely moaning... whimpering and Melissa wanted to cover her ears and her eyes at the same time. But she could not. She was like frozen and her body felt completely numb. She could not look away as Pitch gave one last shudder and then lay completely still as the fearlings crowded around him, sucking greedily, feeding.

Finally Melissa managed to close her eyes. She thought of her Father. This scene down there... it was the same thing all over again. Once again she was sitting in that tree only to see her father getting torn to pieces by wild beasts. She didn't even notice the tears that were again running down her pale cheeks.

But then, suddenly she shook herself. Why was she thinking of this now. Pitch was not her father! He was an evil creature who had captured her and was planning to turn her _into_ one of those ravenous monsters. She tried to think about this with determination. She had told herself before that she should stop feeling sorry for him. So she grit her teeth again and wanted to turn her back... but she couldn't.

When she looked down once more, she could barely see him. His face and body were completely obscured by those shadowy fearlings, all she could see were his feet and a part of his legs sticking out. They were twitching slightly. The sight made her feel like throwing up.

 _This is awful... horrible...they... they are killing him!_

She started to sob uncontrollably. She could not stand this. It was just too awful.

 _They are killing him... and I can't do anything about it... no matter how bad he his... he doesn't deserve this kind of end... he doesn't... he didn't even have a choice in the first place... it was not his choice to be like this!_

She was on her knees with her hands grasping the bars of her cage.

"Stop it!" she yelled but she could do little more than hiss at the vile shadows but she didn't care much.

"Stop! Get away from him!" she shook the bars and then jumped to her feet and hurried over to the door trying to force it open. But it was locked and did not budge. And even if she had been able to pry it open somehow, she would not have been able to get down there. At least not alive. She was way to far up.

"Leave him alone!" she gasped in horror but the fearlings paid no attention to her. There was nothing she could do. But if they killed him, she would be left at the mercy of those monsters.

She closed her eyes in despair. There was nothing she could do, nothing at all. She felt so helpless, so desperate.

"Bunnymund" she whispered. "Ombric, North... please come and find me quickly. Get me out of here! I'm so scared!"

And then, as she kept staring down on the horror she could suddenly feel those fearling's eyes on her. She could see some of them looking up at her with those hideous, hungrily burning holes. The girl understood that they could probably sense or even smell her fear. And she was so very, very afraid.

And then they came for her. Just three of them, while the others remained where they were.

Melissa stumbled back from the bars and stared at the creatures.

"You will be next!" one of them promised and the girl actually felt her yaw drop once again.

 _They can talk! So they are more than just animated mindless shadows..._

And at the same time, she could feel anger rising within her.

"You can't get in!" she whispered blankly.

"We will find a way" another one rasped and Melissa gave the fearling an icy glare.

"So will I" she hissed hatefully and clenched her small fists but did not even try to suppress her rage. "I will kill you! Each and every one of you!" she promised them.

Her defiance seemed to amuse the creatures, if they were even able to feel such a thing. But the strange hissing sounds they made sounded a bit like evil laughter.

"You, child... will never see the light of day..."

"Shut up!" she screamed silently. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Get away from me! And get away from _him!_ "

And to her surprise the three fearlings dashed back down, they actually did get away from her, knowing that they could not get into her cage... yet, but they did not stay away from their unconscious master.

Instantly the girl was back at the bars.

She could see little of Pitch... but all of a sudden he let out a horrifying, blood curdling howl that shook Melissa to her very core. It echoed through the caves. And then, without further ado, the fearlings, who now seemed somehow bigger and more solid as before moved away. They flew off in all directions and the shadows on the walls seemed to swallow them up. Within seconds the cave was completely deserted. Except for a trembling little girl in a cage and the seemingly lifeless body of the Nightmare King below on the ground.

For what seemed like an eternity, Melissa just stood there inside her prison, staring down at him. She had whispered his name a few times, hoping, _wishing_ he would wake up. But for all she knew those monsters had probably put an end to him.

She felt as if her insides had turned into a void. She felt nothing. No more fear, no more despair and no more hope. And finally she turned around and walked back to her furs. She would die here, that much was clear. She would now either starve to death or those fearlings would truly find a way to break into that cage and do the same thing to her, they had done to their so called King.

She preferred the first option but it didn't matter. She was dead either way. She lay down on the soft furs and pulled the blanket up over her head, the very blanket _he_ had given her. It gave her at least an impression of safety and comfort.

She thought of her father and tried to imagine the way he used to hug her when she felt sad. It didn't help much. Then she thought of Katherine.

Hopefully the Guardians would find her soon. But would they also search for _her_? Had they even noticed that she was missing too? She pulled the blanket more tightly around her and closed her eyes hoping that she would pass away peacefully in her sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Melissa's sleep was far from peaceful. Her lack of hope seemed to invite nightmares and the pictures of what she had just witnessed haunted her for hours and were then replaced by the memory of her father's horrible death.

She was shivering and sobbing under her blanket until she suddenly woke up with a start. Someone was shaking her shoulder quite gently but with the pictures of her nightmare still alive in her mind, she flailed her arms in an attempt to defend herself.

"Melissa, calm down" a low voice said. "It's only a bad dream."

She stopped moving and looked up into the slightly nervous face of the Nightmare King himself. She stared, recalling what she had seen earlier, she gasped. He was... _alive?_

" _Pitch?"_ she mouthed and then took a deep breath to steady herself. How was this possible?

She managed to push herself up onto her knees and felt the sudden urge to fling herself into his arms and weep with relief, but she controlled herself with little effort.

"You... you are alive!" she merely whispered.

The Nightmare King frowned down at her, eyes narrowed, clearly confused.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

 _Doesn't he remember?_

"The fearlings" she whispered. "They attacked you... I thought they'd killed you!"

He still stared at her for another moment with a rather curious expression and then started laughing. He laughed as if she had just told him a brilliant joke!

"That must have been some dream you had, child. They? Attack me? Their King? Ridiculous!"

She could only watch him in wonder. But his sudden unexpected mirth died away in an instant. Instead he studied her thoughtfully. "That man in your nightmare..." he muttered. "Your father?"

The girl sighed and nodded. Pitch was the Nightmare King... of course he would be able to see a bad dream.

"Sorry for your loss" he mumbled and then just got up and stalked to the door of her cage, which was now back on the ground. He stepped out of it and locked her in again.

Melissa watched him as he walked away to the control panel and then her cage started to ascend again.

 _Did he really just say that?_

She could barely believe it and pinched herself, sure that she was probably still dreaming. But she was wide awake. He had actually woken her up. From her nightmare! She shook her head. It had not been a Nightmare. It was a memory. But still...

 _Wait... did he really say my name?_

 **Backflash: about ten minutes ago.**

Pitch woke up with a horrible headache but he merely shrugged it off. It was nothing unusual. What confused him more than the pain was the fact that he had been asleep on the floor of his workshop.

 _Damn, I must have overworked myself a bit... again._

It had happened before. He had woken up in odd places, always inside his own domain, but as long as he didn't fall asleep in the middle of a battle against the Guardians he considered it merely a curious fact and nothing much to be overly worried about.

He rubbed his forehead gently to ease the pain a bit. Perhaps he had fallen off the bench, or one of those awful instant shadow orbs had exploded into his face as they always did. He remembered clearly that he had been working on them earlier, trying to apply some sort of safety switch to prevent the little buggers from going off inside his pocket.

He had only recently discovered a new ability. He could actually travel long distances in mere seconds by entering the realm of shadows. A plane of existence that his fearlings inhabited when they were not here. They all had that ability to enter the natural shadows and pop out of another one miles away, so why shouldn't he, their Master have it too? It was his right to be able to do so and he actually wondered why he had not been aware of this power before.

But the shadows had to be dark and dense. So after his latest defeat by the Guardians in Punjam Hy Loo, he was determined to fashion himself some kind of emergency exit just in case he needed to make quick escape. And the tiny, marble sized devices looked promising enough but they went off at the slightest touch. And that was not at all what he needed.

He got to his feet and glared hatefully at the workbench. But then he sensed something in the air. A nightmare, right here in his cavern! A powerful one! He looked up instinctively.

"The girl!" he gasped.

He rushed over to the control desk and brought her cage down to the ground slowly and carefully. He stopped himself from letting it drop too fast. He didn't want to miss a nightmare of such potential, he would not risk waking her.

As soon as the cage was just an inch above the ground he unlocked it silently and entered. This would be good. The girl had acted so cool and fearless around him earlier but now she was finally afraid, very afraid! And he would at last find out about her greatest fear. Knowing this would give him all the power over her that he needed to make her talk.

He knelt down beside her in delighted anticipation and reached out to her, mentally with his left hand. It hovered merely and inch above her sweaty brow.

She was crying, he noticed but then he concentrated and observed her dream.

Merely a minute later he withdrew his hand. He had seen it all, heard it all. And for some reason it made him feel sick to his stomach. He had turned so many sweet dreams into nightmares in his prime but never one like this. This was not just a bad dream, he realized. What he had just witnessed was a memory. A really awful memory.

Even now that he had distanced himself from that awful dream, he could still hear the girl's terrified screams and the sounds of the wolves as the gnawed on that man's bones, he could still hear them cracking between their teeth. Their growling and ripping and tearing at the last bits of human flesh.

The Nightmare King shuddered. He felt pathetic. He was the master of nightmares and yet... there was one that actually gave _him_ goosebumps. He heard the girl sob. She too was trembling. He could not blame her.

And before he knew what he was doing, he reached out for her shoulder and shook her as gently as he could.

"Melissa?" he said quietly and she awoke with a start, clawing at the air in self defense.

"Melissa, calm down. It's just a bad dream."

Pitch couldn't believe he was really saying this, but the girl's night terror had truly shaken him. He understood now why she was so hard to scare. She had seen worse, far worse. And somewhere deep within him, in the last remaining shreds of his once human soul, he felt sorry for her.

He knew she had been very close to that man who had been torn to bits before her young eyes... but...

"Pitch? You... you are alive!"

What was this now? He wondered. Why wouldn't he be? Why in the nine hells did the child look at him with such disbelief, concern and … was that relief in her eyes?

He tried to frown but somehow he had little control over his facial expressions. But he simply voiced his question and heard her claim that his own fearlings, his slaves had attacked him. It was impossible! He was their master, they would never dare to move against him. They had no will of their own. Basic instincts perhaps. But they could not think or make rebellious decisions like that.

He was the Nightmare King! Only he had power over them. He controlled them. The mere idea made him laugh. It was just too crazy.

He shook his head and got to his feet. The girl must be a bit soft in the head. But he still wanted to know one thing.

"Was that man in your nightmare your father?" he almost whispered and saw her nod.

So this kid was perhaps an orphan too. He didn't know about her mother but he had not sensed her anywhere in her dream. He would find out in time. He could ask her now but he decided against that. Not after _that_. But he felt compelled to say something. Pitch did not remember it but somehow he knew the feeling of loosing everything that was dear to him.

"Sorry for your loss" he mumbled and practically fled from her prison cell.

Once the cage was up again he sighed deeply and only then did he remember that he had another, much more important hostage to take care of. He had better check on her and make sure that she had not somehow awoken from the eternal nightmare he had trapped her in.

The Guardians would be coming for her very soon. He knew that they would find a way to locate her. She was the bait, the key to his great plan and this time, he would get rid of those wannabe-heroes and their new Golden Age once and for all. He could decide what to do with Melissa later, she could still work as a backup plan if something went wrong. But he needed to make preparations too.

He needed those pearls of instant shadow to work reliably and without fail and that was probably going to be the hardest part.

So Pitch thought as he made his way up to the small cavern where Katherine was dreaming dark dreams without end.

Melissa was pacing around her cage lost in thoughts. She had been over this times and times again ever since Pitch had left. Why had he woken her up from a nightmare? Shouldn't he have enjoyed to see her suffer and in fear? Had he actually meant it when he had said that he was sorry for her loss or was he still playing games with her? He had even said her name! She was quite sure she had heard him say her name. How did he even know it?

He must have heard it in Punjam Hy Loo when Katherine had called out for her, that time when she had run off with her lost tooth... it was really lost now, wasn't it?

 _Poor Katherine... what is he doing to you now? Damn... I wish I could have done something!_

And yet... she also could not get that image of the swarming fearlings out of her head when they had so easily overwhelmed that man she had considered a monster. She remembered the despair she had felt.

 _Right... I wished I could have done something there too... but they didn't kill him after all... but he was in so much pain… and fear... he was terrified, I saw it … I felt it too... just what did they do to him?_

She also remembered the promise of those fearlings. She would have to do something. She had to find a way to get out of this cage! She had to come up with a plan and she would have to do so quickly.

Melissa had examined the lock of her cage more closely and found that it was a rather simple design. But without a key or some sort of substitute she would not be able to pick it. But there were so many scraps of metal and other material down there in that workshop... if she could only get her hands on something suitable...

She had also spotted several long ropes. Everything she needed to escape was down there, but she would have to get out of that cage just once or maybe twice. In her mind a plan was beginning to come together. She had to get Pitch to trust her. If he could play the friendly game, so could she.

After all, pretending and make believe games were her favorites. She knew she would play her role well, but would it be good enough to hoodwink the Nightmare King? Where was he anyway?

By the time he finally showed up she had drunk the remaining water in the jar and had eaten the last piece of bread. It had already been quite hard. She had made a mental note to eat the bread first and save the apples for later the next time she got fed... if he would continue to provide her with nourishment that was.

She watched him as he went about his business for perhaps half an hour. He had sat down again on the same spot where the fearlings had attacked him the night before. Melissa frowned. Had it been night then? She couldn't tell, she only knew that she had slept and dreamed after that. But she could not think about that now. She needed her wits and all of her courage.

She watched as another one of those little bombs of instant darkness exploded in his grasp and grinned. The man really needed help with that. He obviously lacked the mind of an inventor.

"Pitch!" she whispered but he did not hear her over the sound of his own swearing.

"Hey you! Your Majesty!" she hissed mockingly but still there was no reaction and she sighed in exasperation. Then she picked up the empty water jar and clanked it against the bars of her prison.

This finally made him turn around and scowl up at her. She heard him growl under his breath but he got up and moved over to the control desk to lower her cage.

"What do you want?" he spat at her when the cage had descended enough and they were on eye level.

She held out the empty jar to him as if this was a telling answer.

"Thirsty?" he asked.

"That too. But I really need to go to the bathroom" she whispered with a slightly painful smile.

" _What?"_ the Nightmare King gasped but then he touched his forehead with his good left hand. He really had not thought about that bit. "Humans" he huffed and opened the cage for her.

Melissa could not believe it. It had been so easy, but she really needed to pee and so she allowed him to grab her collar again and lead her away.

But after a few minutes of walking she started to get nervous. His bathroom sure was far away.

"Where are we going?" she dared to ask.

"You said you needed to go. You will have to do that outside. The last thing I need down there is the stink of ..."

"You don't have a bathroom?"

"No."

"But don't you ever have to..."

"I am the Nightmare King! Of course I don't!"

Melissa fell silent at this and just followed his lead. Outside he had said and she wondered just how long it would take them to get there. But an instant later, she could suddenly smell flowers and grass and damp earth. And something else. Cool night air.

They stepped out of the mouth of a small cave under the star-covered night sky.

Melissa could not help but clutch her hands to her chest and take a deep breath.

"What are you waiting for?" Pitch asked impatiently. "There are bushes. Go on and be done with it! And don't even think about running. I will have you before you can even say boo."

The fresh air was so exhilarating, she didn't even mind his threats as she dashed behind the next bush and did what she had come here to do. She knew Pitch was watching her, of course he did but he actually kept his distance and respected her pricacy.

When she walked back to him, a minute later, the look of surprise on his face did not escape her. She was still smiling.

"Pitch?" she asked carefully when he attempted to drag her back into the cave.

"What?" he snapped back at her, sounding impatient.

"Can't we stay a bit? The night is so beautiful!"

He turned around and sighed. She saw him looking up at the stars. There was no moon.

"It's a new moon night too" she whispered. "It makes the stars even brighter."

Pitch nodded as if lost in thoughts... as if he had watched this kind of sky many times before.

As they both stared up into the firmament he let go of her collar and placed his hand on her shoulder instead.

Melissa drew another deep breath in amazement. His touch was suddenly so gentle. She smiled and moved just a bit closer to him without taking her eyes from the brilliant night sky.

"Look" she said and pointed up. "That's the constellation Cassiopeia!"

Pitch looked up at the W-shaped constellation and could not help but smile a bit.

"That one there is the Lyra" he explained nodding up at another one. "The brightest star there is called Vega."

Melissa held her breath for a moment. What was going on? Why was he doing this?

 _Well... I started it, didn't I? But this is … incredible!_

She had always admired the stars. Her father had shown her so many constellations during the dark nights out in the wild. And right now, she felt like it was him and not the Nightmare King, who was standing next to her.

"I like the night sky most in winter" she whispered in awe. "Orion is my favorite constellation."

"Is that so?" Pitch wondered as if under a spell. "Do you know the name of the hunters largest star?"

"Of course" she said as if he had asked her the most stupid question ever. "It's Rigel."

"Wrong" Pitch chuckled. "It's Beteigeuze."

Melissa flinched a bit and stared up at him, almost more astounded by his smile than by her error.

„But father told me..."

„Then he made a mistake" Pitch interrupted her and suddenly his voice was harsh again and his smile was gone. He quickly pulled his hand away from her shoulder and grasped her collar again. „Time to go back" he said firmly.

„But Pitch... please" she begged. „Just another minute. I am sorry, I made a mistake. You know that stuff way better than me. I mean, you have been out there, haven't you?"

He stared at her and was not quite sure what to do or to say. The girl was obviously interested in the constellations. And she was right too. He had been out there. He knew the constellations and the royal families that had once ruled there. He had destroyed them all. But the stars remained. They were still shining as brightly as ever. He felt strange, not like himself but he nodded.

„What was it like?" she asked in her childish curiosity.

„Like a nightmare" Pitch rasped and dragged her back into the cave forcefully.

The girl let out a silent yelp but could do little more than to follow his lead. She jogged along as he led her back through the short tunnel at a brisk pace and minutes later they were back inside the main cavern. Melissa had made sure to remember the way.

„I'm sorry" she breathed when Pitch finally let go of her and opened the door of her cage. „I really am. I shouldn't have asked that. I am so sorry. Please let me make it up to you!"

The Nightmare King stared down at her in confusion. What was she talking about? What was she apologizing for?

„Make it... up to me?" he asked with a frown and his voice rang with suspicion. „What do you mean?"

Melissa shrugged and looked around nervously. There was not a single fearling in sight. She had to get this over with. Now.

„I don't know. Is there anything you need help with?"

 _There are a lot of things I need help with... really… but why would she offer it? What is this child up to?_

"I heard you swearing over those weird marbles last night and just earlier. Maybe I can help you fix them?" she suggested.

"What?" Pitch huffed, barely able to believe that suggestion. "What would you know about..."

"I don't know anything unless you tell me" she interrupted him quite boldly. "I only understood that you are trying to stop them from blowing up by accident and they seem to be doing that a lot" she went on, ignoring his cold stare.

She had to convince him to trust her! She had to avoid getting locked up in that cage again. She needed to get a few things first and then she would make her escape.

"I don't know how those things work, but your problem reminds me a lot of the traps my father liked to use. They suddenly just snapped without reason and nearly cut off one of his fingers once. I invented a new design to stop that from happening. Maybe I can invent something similar for you?"

She looked up at him pleadingly. She would do anything to avoid being locked up again. And she had not lied. She was good at tinkering, at putting parts together. It was like a game, a puzzle to her and she loved doing it.

" _Give Melissa a piece of wood, a knife and some string and you can be sure she will build something useful from it, a mousetrap, a device to decapitate eggs or even a time traveling machine!"_

Those were her fathers words when he used to boast about his daughters skills when it came to tinkering.

Pitch studied her face. For some reason the girl was willing to help him with those little devils. And she seemed so sure that she could fix them.

He really needed those things to work just in case that something went wrong with his plan and he needed to get away. He still could not figure out what she wanted to make up for but he didn't doubt her sincerity. She was a child after all, and as the humans say, children and drunks don't lie...

"Why not" he sighed. He knew that the stupid things would continue to blow up, but at least he would not be the only one who'd be frustrated. He decided to give the girl a chance. She seemed eager enough.

 _What a wonderful darkling daughter she would make... but not yet. All good things to those who wait._

He led her over to the workbench, showed her the tiny devices and explained her how they worked, what they were made of and how they produced magical shadow.

She examined one of them carefully and in amazement. Magic! This was something she had never worked with but it reminded her of Ombric and North and Bunnymund. They were familiar with that kind of stuff. What would they think of her if they knew that she was helping their enemy to perfect his latest weapon. But how could a little orb of darkness harm anyone? She wondered.

"What do you need them for?" she asked innocently.

"As an emergency escape" he admitted quite frankly. "I can travel by shadow. But there is not always one dark enough handy when I need it..."

"Like in Punjam Hy Loo" Melissa whispered thoughtfully. So this was not a weapon after all. Realizing that made her feel a lot better about it.

She nodded to herself, sat down and started to work feverishly. She understood now how the tiny things worked and she knew that she had to be careful. She did not even ask for permission but used the tools around the workshop to bend tiny pieces of metal into shape and drew different designs on pieces of parchment.

Pitch just watched and didn't disturb her. After a while he even turned away and started on some other chores. The place was in a mess and he stated organizing tools and put away spare parts.

"Not that one, please" Melissa whispered without looking up much. "I'll need that in a minute."

He bent down and placed the tiny bolt of steel on the table next to her.

"Thanks."

And then...

 _Pop_

"Awww... Nooo! Sorry..." she coughed as she found herself in complete darkness. She had not been careful enough and had triggered the device. She could hear Pitch laugh somewhere not too far away and as the shadow particles dissolved around her she graced him with a smirk.

"Those things break easier than a raw egg. Have you ever considered making the shell just a bit stronger?" she complained and Pitch chuckled.

"They have to be like that. My shadow magic is... volatile. If the shell is too strong it won't work at all, if it's thinner it will just collapse in on itself" he told her but she only rolled her eyes and got back to work. There were plenty of those little things and Pitch told her that he could easily make a lot more. So she broke two more of them and didn't feel too bad about it.

But then during her fourth attempt, she noticed that Pitch was actually leaving the large workshop and went into an adjoining chamber.

Melissa knew that this was her moment. She actually felt something like triumph. But she could only shake her head in disbelief. She had never imagined him to be so gullible!

She quickly slipped a thin piece of metal, which she had had her eyes set upon for a while, into her pocket. It would make a perfect lock-pick. Then she ran over to one of the numerous shelves that lined the wall, where she had seen those ropes earlier.

She looked around, but there was still no sign of her captor. So she took one that looked long and strong enough and hurried over to her cage. She hid it carefully under the furs and then rushed back to the workbench.

She was not quite sure how long she had been working but finally she smiled. She had a result that seemed actually presentable.

She smiled and tossed the little device from one hand into the other and it didn't explode, not unless a small button was switched to activate it.

Melissa was quite excited about her success and even more so about the way Pitch had left her alone like this. Did he really trust her that much already? Did he really think that she would not try to escape?

She got up and turned to face the direction into which he had disappeared only to find him standing right there, leaning against the wall, watching her with his arms crossed over his chest. It was actually the first time since Punjam Hy Loo that she saw his right arm.

But Melissa had other troubles than to marvel about this. Her heart had plummeted to the pit of her stomach. Had he been there all the time? Had he seen her looting his workshop? She could have sworn that he had left the room, that he had not been around when she had stolen that rope.

She gulped nervously. There was only one way to find out. She would act as if she had done nothing wrong.

 _Play acting, play acting... Come on Melissa, you are good at that._

"Um... Pitch?" she whispered timidly and he instantly hid his strangely pale and weak looking arm from sight.

"So, are you giving up yet?" he asked flatly.

She grinned at him sheepishly and held up her hand.

"Catch!" she said in her voiceless way but her whisper still rang with a bit of pride as she sent the small darkness bomb flying his way. He reached out with his good hand and caught it easily. But when his fingers closed around it and it did not explode he raised an eyebrow.

"Oops, sorry... my bad." Melissa apologized. "You would have press the button to make it go off."

Pitch ignored her teasing whisper and held the tiny device up before his eyes. He examined it from all sides, noticing a thin net of wire around it. A stabilizer, he realized and wondered why he had never thought of that. It was so simple! All the time he had been trying things that were much more complicated. But this child had actually solved his problem with such a simple trick.

This way he could handle it without applying pressure to the small orb inside. But how was it supposed to detonate now? Then he noticed the small button she had mentioned. He pressed it and the bomb went off instantly, clouding him in perfect darkness. But this time he did not swear. He laughed. He stepped out of the darkness laughing.

Melissa grinned up at him. Hearing him laugh like that, without menace, was somehow exhilarating and infectious.

But he stopped almost instantly again and looked down at her with an unreadable expression. The girl took a step back in alarm.

 _Oh gods! He_ did _see me taking his stuff. He'll punish me for sure and I will never make it out of here in one piece!_

But when he started talking, he surprised her. "You really did it" he muttered thoughtfully. "I still can't believe it. I must admit, you have managed to impress me."

For a moment Melissa was stunned. "Er... thank you" she whispered doubtfully, staring down at her feet, wondering what would come next.

But then he was suddenly beside her. He turned her around without too much force and led her back to the workbench.

"You have to show me how you did this. I should like to have a few of them."

Melissa nodded silently and sat down. She started working again, repeating what she had done before. But the fact that Pitch had sat down right next to her, watching every move of her fingers really unsettled her. When she gingerly wove the net of wires, he could see her hands shaking slightly. And when she tried to apply the preformed net on one of the little orbs, it popped the moment she touched it.

The Nightmare King could feel the child wince next to him as they were both in complete darkness.

"Don't be so nervous" he advised and heard her sigh.

"I'm trying, but having you sitting there watching doesn't really help" she admitted quite frankly.

"I know" he nodded. "I have that effect on people."

For some reason this statement brought a smile to the girl's face and when the concentrated shadow dissolved around her and she picked up another one of the small orbs, her hands were not shaking anymore.

A little while later after Pitch had seen first hand how the solution to his problem was created, they were both hard at work. The Nightmare King himself had gathered some additional tools and more wire and mimicked what he had seen her doing. He even tried to make some improvements. Not on the design itself but on the production.

He brought another small round object over from another table nearby. And Melissa gasped in surprise when he wrapped his neatly finished net of wire tightly around it to give it the perfect shape.

"What is that thing?" she asked, remembering how she had wondered about that earlier when she had glimpsed it while she had been searching for wire.

"One of my first tries" he admitted. "... made the shell way to thick. But it still has its uses now."

The girl nodded. "I had been wondering if I should use it for that purpose" she confessed.

"Why didn't you?" asked the Nightmare King and watched her shrug.

"I had no idea what it was" she said and then improvised quickly. She was still a bit nervous that he might had seen her taking that rope. She had to find out. "... I wanted to ask you, but I didn't see you anywhere. So I thought I'd better leave it alone. It could have been something dangerous after all."

Pitch said nothing as he passed her the object so that she could use it as well.

Yes, he _had_ left the room. He had wanted to test her. For about ten minutes he had waited inside his private chambers and just listened to the sounds from the workshop. More than enough time for her to realize that she was unattended. He had given her the perfect chance to escape. She knew the way out. Would she run?

He had heard her soft, quick footsteps and had actually felt quite disappointed. But when he had stepped back into the large cavern, she was still there, working hard. She had probably just run to one of the shelves to get something she needed.

He had given her every opportunity to make her escape, but it seemed that she was not even interested in fleeing. But he could tell that she was actually enjoying what she was doing now.

"Ugh..." she sighed suddenly, interrupting his train of thoughts. "Maybe I should build a small weaving loom next" she whispered and shook her hands. "Tying all those tiny knots is making my fingers sore."

That thought suddenly made her wonder how Pitch was doing it? She had avoided looking at him until now. But his hands were a lot larger than hers and could he even use his right one?

She cast a careful glance to her left and bit her lip when she realized that he could. It looked so strange on him... this pale flesh and his fingers seemed a bit stiff. She looked away again quickly before he would notice.

"That sounds like a sensible idea" he agreed and even though she did not look up, she could hear a smile in his voice. He seemed in a strangely good mood for who he was and Melissa decided to keep the conversation going.

"Pitch?"

"Mhh?"

"What's that sparkling stuff over there?" she asked curiously and pointed at a high, vitreous jar filled with some kind of odd silvery-white powder. It was giving off a slight glow and actually looked a bit out of place here.

He looked up and grinned quite evilly. "A little souvenir I brought back from my last unnoticed visit to your precious village. Nicked it from your wizard friends."

"What?" she gasped but then just shrugged. So he had been around Santoff Claussen, probably watching her friends and planning his latest attack. "But what is it?"

"Stardust mixed with a bit of phosphor."

Her eyes grew wide in wonder. "What does it do?"

He shrugged and didn't even look up as he continued working. "It produces light. If you would, for example fill one of those orbs with this powder instead of shadow, it would produce a flash of blinding white light."

"Light" Melissa wondered. "Why would you keep something like that here?"

Pitch gave a snort. "As long as it is here with me, your friends can't use it against me, right?"

"Right" she agreed. "It would be dangerous for you?"

"Not really" he admitted. "It would blind me for a few moments probably... but to any of my servants such a blast would mean instant death."

"Oohh" she gave a fake shudder. "We wouldn't want anything like that to happen" she muttered under her breath but then quickly changed the subject. "Where are all those fearlings to... tonight?"

She could feel him shrug slightly. He was concentrating more on his work, than on their strange conversation. "Probably out, roaming the night. Or in their own realm of shadows."

"Realm of shadows?" she shuddered slightly but for real this time. Those fiends had their own realm? What did they even come here for?

"The one I use to travel from one place to the other."

"The one you are hoping to get access to using those orbs."

"Exactly."

"Isn't that dangerous?" she wondered, trying to imagine a place like this.

"Not for me" Pitch assured her and then frowned. Why would that child ask him such a question?

He looked around at her. She did not look up, but he could still see her own frown. Something was bothering her. He knew she was afraid of his minions. She feared _them_ more than _him_. Silly child. But he had been playing nicely after all. And right now, he didn't really mind. Her company was somehow refreshing and for the first time he actually enjoyed talking to her.

Then a strange noise made him look up again and saw Melissa looking down on herself and then up at him with a guilty expression.

It took him about ten seconds to catch on and then he chuckled. "Hungry?"

She nodded and looked so embarrassed, that he had to fight down a laugh.

"Give me five minutes. Don't run away, I'd find you again anyway" he promised and she just nodded.

She would run for sure, but not now.

 _Patience Liz... All good things to those who wait._

She watched him as he got up from the bench and walked right into the nearest shadows. But the moment he was gone, Melissa was on her feet. She had a new idea, actually Pitch had had it, but she would make it happen right now.

She dashed over to the table that held, what he had told her to be empty shells. Small black orbs that had not been filled yet. She picked one up and hurried over to the jar, that held the stardust-phosphor mix and opened it carefully. She found a tiny funnel and a small measuring cup and got to work. She worked quickly, precisely and very, very carefully.

She had only one shot at this and she had heard of the explosive nature of phosphor before. She could not risk to blow this. If something went wrong, Pitch would know what she had tried to do. He would probably think she was a threat to his life!

But all Melissa wanted was a weapon that would enable her to fight off any fearling that might get in the way of her planned escape.

When the tiny orb was properly filled she closed it carefully with one of the little bolts that Pitch seemed to have used on the others. Then she set the lid firmly back on the jar and put everything back in its place before she went back to the table and began to wrap the orb in the net she had just finished.

Then she quickly slipped it into the pocket of her dress only just in time, for a second later, Pitch stepped out of the darkness with a bowl of rice with fried vegetables and a spoon. He had even brought another jug full of water.

He seemed quite relieved to see her still sitting there and she actually looked up at him expectantly.

"Here you are. Enjoy. You've earned it." With that he placed the food and water on the table before her and once again took his seat next to her.

Melissa was not quite sure, where he had taken the food from but she cared little. She felt like she was starving and she would need all her strength later.

So she dug in without needing another prompting and only after she had devoured two spoons full did she remember her manners.

"Um... thank you" she mumbled meekly and tried to eat a little more slowly. By the time she had finished her meal, Pitch was already working on another net. She pushed the empty bowl aside and without further ado started working again as well.

For a long while neither of them said anything. Melissa thought about her escape plan and wondered where she should actually go after she had made it outside. She had no idea just where this place beyond this closest exit was. All she knew was that it was within another kind of mountain range. But it could be anywhere - the Swiss Alps, the Blue Ridge Mountains or the East Side of Mount Fuji.

Pitch had probably seen to it, that any entrance to his underground realm was well hidden and in an area that was not easily accessible. What if she could not get out of this small valley she had seen in the starlight?

The Guardians were probably scouring the earth, searching for Katherine, and hopefully her too. Perhaps if she didn't find a way to escape and travel back to Santoff Claussen on her own, she could perhaps leave some sort of signal for them. They could fly after all. At least Nightlight and the Queen Toothiana could.

She tried to picture what she remembered of the landscape outside in her mind and tried to plan which direction to take. But she couldn't help thinking about that one peculiar moment when they had been watching the stars. It had been both scary and yet wonderful somehow.

It had made her feel somehow hopeful that this Nightmare King perhaps wasn't so bad after all.

Then she wondered. Was he?

She wasn't sure how long she had been here now, but she had really expected worse of him. He could have done horrible things to her, but he hadn't. He had quite obviously saved her life. He had also fixed her shoulder, which had been possibly the most physically painful experience in her life, but by now the pain was as good as gone. He also wasn't letting her starve and now... he had actually let her out of her cage, given her something to do and seemed to trust her enough to turn his back for a while.

And on top of that Melissa had to admit, that she was actually enjoying herself. She was a prisoner of the feared Nightmare King... and she was having _fun_!

 _Ridiculous!_

She gave a quick glance around at him, but he didn't seem to notice. He had been positively nice to her over the last few hours. The girl knew he was acting but that at least proved that he could be nice when he wanted to be or if it served his purpose.

She had been playing the very same game with him and wondered. Perhaps she should try and see if there were any results yet.

And then she asked the question, Pitch really didn't want to hear.

"I don't think you'd be willing to tell me what you have done to my friend, would you?" she whispered into the silence.

He growled in the back of his throat, but then shot her a wicked smile.

"No, not until you tell me about your argument with..." he hesitated for a moment until he clenched his jaw. The darkness orb he had been working on popped within his fist.

"... Mother Nature."

Melissa was so startled for a moment, that she dropped the orb she had just picked up and it too went off. They were both shrouded in blackness and the girl sighed.

"You really drive a hard bargain" she admitted and wondered if she should just spit it out and tell him. A few more hours and she would be gone from this place anyway. But then, she just could not bring herself to do it.

"But I can't. I'm sorry, even if I wanted to... I really can't tell you."

"Why?"

"It's private... and … well..."

"What?"

 _Embarrassing!_

"Nothing..." she whispered and said not another word about it.

When the two similar spheres of darkness dissolved around them, she could feel him watching her. But she tried to ignore him, hoping he had not noticed how red her face was. She simply picked up a new orb and got back to work.

He looked at her blank expression for another few seconds before he did the same.

Several minutes passed in silence until Melissa finally whispered: "I might tell you... some day."


	8. Chapter 8

By the time the first fearlings returned to the cavern, they had produced no less than a dozen of the new and improved instant shadow orbs. But as soon as Melissa saw the first shadows come to life, she could not wait to get back into her cage.

Her obvious fear only amused the Nightmare King and he shook his head at her in disbelief. He had seen a lot, but never before had he come across a child that _wanted_ to be imprisoned.

But then he gave in to her pleading and locked her back up. As the cage ascended again Melissa sat down on her furs and smiled. It had been an eventful night, and it had somehow even been nice. But still. She wanted out and she _would_ get out!

Everything was ready now. All she needed to do now was simply wait until Pitch was on one of his trips around his caverns again. She knew he did so regularly, she had seen it.

But first of all, she needed to get some sleep. She had to be rested when it was time for her escape. For a moment she was worried that she might oversleep and miss her chance. But then she shrugged. In that case, she would simply wait for the next one. Being here was after all not really that bad.

So she made herself as comfortable on her furs as she could. It was not easy with a rope underneath and something highly explosive in her pocket. But after a while she fell asleep with a content smile on her face.

* * *

He was having that dream again.

After locking the girl back up in her cage, Pitch had left to check on his other prisoner. But everything had been in order and all preparations were in place. All he needed to do now, was to be ready and mentally prepared for the task at hand when the Guardians would finally arrive.

But until then it would be at least another day, maybe two. He had given them quite a task to perform and the thought of it had caused him to grin evilly with glee. But he would have to make sure that they actually found the girl. If they didn't show up within two more days, he would have to do something to lead them on the right track somehow.

He had returned to the main cave and busied himself by putting all the tools and material they had used earlier back in the shelves, listening up for sounds from the only occupied cage. Once he was sure that the girl had fallen asleep, he decided to do the same. He needed to be ready and rested for the arrival of his enemies.

So he had withdrawn to his own private chamber to get some serious shut-eye. His private room was just that. Private. The one place in his domain that even the fearlings never dared to enter. They knew that there would be hell to pay if they did. It was the only place he ever truly allowed himself to let his guard down. He pulled of his robe and flung it over the plain but well-used armchair that made up most of the rooms furniture. Then he just lay down on what looked like a stack of neatly folded black canvas.

For a minute or two, he stared at the dark ceiling wondering about the strange night. The girl still didn't comply, was still unwilling to tell him what he wanted to know but apart from this, she had not tried to run away and she had proven to be surprisingly useful.

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes, slowly drifting off. But it was only a short while before that one awful nightmare returned, the one he always had. He never remembered it when he woke up, but once it came back to him he recognized it even though it always differed slightly. The deal was still the same. And the moment he felt it coming, dread crept in. He tried to wake himself somehow, but it didn't work... it never worked.

With that dream always came a feeling of weakness, which Pitch hated. He needed to be in control...

This time, he found himself standing in the middle of a crowded boulevard. The place was so colorful it was making him nauseous... and the real terror had not even started.

People, humans of all sizes and ages moved around him, walking up and down the street in streams like schools of fish. None of them was afraid, none of them paid him any heed. None of them seemed to be even aware of his presence.

They bumped into him, without apologizing and why would they? They didn't even notice. They walked right through him! As if he was a ghost! He tried to sidestep them, to get away but there were just too many. And every time one of them connected with him, Pitch felt as if a bit of him was being torn away. It hurt, it made him dizzy and the feeling of weakness increased quickly. And soon it brought him to his knees.

He knew that he was dreaming. But it was so real! The feeling of being... devoured alive was so real to him, as was the pain, both mental and physical.

And somehow he knew that this was what would become of him if he didn't change something soon. If he didn't get rid of those Guardians - if he didn't stop this new Golden Age from coming - this would be his fate! To be nothing more than a mere specter and slowly fade away from existence completely.

He tried to get back to his feet, but his limbs refused to obey him. He wanted to run, but couldn't. He wanted to get out of here, he needed to wake up. But he knew it wouldn't happen.

People kept coming at him, they walked through him almost purposefully. And there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing at all!

He felt as if his very life was being drained from him, as if every trespasser tore at his very soul and he could feel himself falling. Pitch had no more control over his body, it seemed to develop a mind of its own as he slumped down on the hard cobblestones, twitching and trembling violently. An agonized moan escaped from his thin lips.

This was perhaps the worst part... feeling so helpless... at the mercy of... he didn't know what. Being walked through was one Thing, but being tread upon? It made him want to cry out but his voice would not obey any more than the rest of his body. He truly was completely helpless and the mighty Nightmare King was close to tears.

He was flat on his back now and looked up at the sky from where a bright full moon was glaring down at him, seemingly delighted to see him brought so low.

Somehow he managed to turn his face away from the garish, blinding light. The colors were fading around him, blurring and turning into dull grays. People kept coming and going, continuing their torture knowingly or unaware, it didn't matter.

Pitch closed his eyes and hoped - prayed that it would all be over soon. He could not move and barely breathe. The pain and the dread were like a chain around his neck, cutting off the air and all he could do was shudder silently. He could hear their voices, a low, constant humming in his ears. And then through the noise he could suddenly hear a clear voice, the voice of a young child, a girl laughing.

He forced his eyes open and saw her instantly. As the only figure that was still colorful she stuck out and shone like a beacon. She was running, she was coming for him, laughing happily while her ebony locks danced around her face. She was a child again, just like in the old photograph he wore around his neck. And she looked so happy -why did she look so incredibly happy? Was she actually glad to see him? Because she had finally found him?

Pitch tried to raise his arm and somehow that awful, cruel dream allowed it. He reached out for her, desperately. She was mere steps away but then... he felt a strong tug that seemed to tear his soul and spirit to shreds, as she ran straight through him, still laughing merrily.

It was too much, even for Pitch. His arm fell back onto the cobblestones and he let out an anguished, hollow sob as he felt himself breaking inside. Somehow it was a familiar feeling, it had happened before. So many times. He wanted it to end. He tried to roll over onto his side, but he was far to weak.

Pitch drew a shuddering breath. They would not stop coming, stepping on him, tearing at him, kicking him into oblivion. They never stopped. The girl, his daughter, was only the cherry on top. This would go on until there was nothing of him left. All he could do was close his eyes and wait for the end, for that unbearable pain that would rip him apart. But it didn't come. He could feel the light of the moon growing brighter, so much brighter, but then, unexpectedly and all of a sudden all lights went out – and he felt himself shrouded in darkness.

It was complete and impenetrable. This was a new twist to the dream. It had never done this before and he was afraid. He was so very afraid -of the dark, and it took him a long time to remember that darkness was nothing to be afraid of. Not for him.

And then suddenly he could breathe again as the strange darkness covered him like a warm, comforting blanket. Was this another trick? He still felt so weak. It had to be just another trick to make him feel hopeful, he was sure of it. But the blow that would finish him never came. He waited for it but nothing happened. There was only this soft darkness and bit by bit he lost himself in it, leaving the nightmare behind.

* * *

Melissa had slept for a few hours without being disturbed by any kind of nightmare. She had dreamed about her new friends back in Santoff Clausen and of Bunnymund's chocolates. He had given her one that had really restored her voice and she could finally play and romp around the forest with the other children. She had learned to talk to all kinds of creatures and had made a special friend with that bat, she had seen hanging from the ceiling of Big Root on her first night.

It was a beautiful dream. The best one she had had in ages. But then all of a sudden she woke up, just in the middle of a game they were all playing.

She sat up with a growl and looked around her. Criss-crossed bars blocked her view and she remembered instantly where she was.

"Ah drat it" she whispered angrily. She wanted to go back to that dream but then she remembered her plan.

She crawled over to the bars of her cage. There were a few fearlings but they were flying quickly through the Nightmare King's cavern with a purpose. The girl watched them in the dim glow of those blue fires as they disappeared through that door - the one she had seen Pitch go through earlier when he had left her alone. She looked over at her furs. The rope was right there and then she rummaged through her pockets.

There was this thin piece of metal and the small orb filled with stardust and phosphor. She took a deep breath. Now was the time. She would escape and find her way back home! This was the time to make that dream she had just had come true!

She ran to the door and stuck her hand through the bars and started to fumble with the lock and her make-shift skeleton key. It took her perhaps a minute before the lock gave in and the door swung open.

"Stage one" she whispered and then hurried to retrieve the rope. Her captor had not pulled her up as high as she had thought he would and there was plenty. She tied it to the back of her cage with a very tight knot and then pulled at it.

"Perfect" she whispered cheerfully. "I'll be out of here in no time."

She took another look around the deserted workshop. There was not one fearling in sight but she touched the explosive device inside her pocked gingerly for reassurance before she threw the rope down and climbed nimbly out of her prison cell.

It was not that hard. She was well trained after all. She had lived in the wilds for so long that her muscles were well developed for a child her age. But she slid down slowly and carefully and when her feet finally touched the ground she shrugged with a strange feeling of loss.

"Sorry Pitch" she mumbled. "But I am out of here."

She turned around to look for that tunnel they had taken earlier, wondering if he would miss her. She remembered that moment out there, where she was going - when he had placed his hand on her shoulder and told her about the constellation Lyra.

And then she heard something. A soft sound… from the place, that room those fearlings had gone to.

It had only been the echo of a moan but suddenly Melissa knew why the fearlings were in there. She knew with a sudden certainty thatPitch was in there too... they were doing it again!

She cringed at the mere thought. But then her reasonable mind kicked in.

 _This is your chance! Pitch is out cold and the fearlings are busy with him. No one will come after you! Run!_

And Melissa took a step forward and another one, but then her head drooped. She remembered that scene she had witnessed the night before. She had no idea what the Nightmare King was going through right now... but...

 _I want to go home..._

The girl stood stock-still for a moment or two. She could run and perhaps be done with all of this. But then...

 _What would Katherine do, if she was here? What would she want me to do?_

She turned on her heel and started running, not for the way out but towards that door. She didn't know what it looked like in there but she had a pretty good idea what was going on. She stuck her hand into her pocket and felt for the stardust bomb she had fashioned earlier.

There was no actual door, just some sort of dark curtain that moved slightly. She took a deep steadying breath and pushed it aside. And then she became aware of the scene behind.

Melissa stood still again for a moment, taking in what she was looking at. The room wasn't as large as she had imagined and she could not see much, except for the crowd of living moving shadows.

But she knew what was happening, she had seen it before.

She caught only a tiny glimpse of the Nightmare King and from what she saw she could tell that he was in serious trouble again.

The girl grit her teeth and felt her fingers tighten around her secret weapon. She had not been able to do anything the other day, but now...

For just one short instant she felt doubtful. What if it didn't work? What if the tiny bomb didn't detonate? What if the fearlings attacked her too? Shouldn't she just turn around and run? But the moment passed and she ignored the thought.

She took a shaky breath before she dared to fully enter the room. She had never been so close to a fearling without the safety of the cage bars around her. Now she would have to master her fear. It was time those monsters learned to fear her instead.

She took another step and then hissed at them with a grim smile.

"Surprise!"

Instantly she had their full attention. She could not see them clearly though. It was all a wild blur of swirling, malicious, living darkness but she could feel them staring at her.

"Party's over" she said flatly and then held out the small orb to the quickly approaching horde. Melissa closed her eyes tightly and pressed down on the tiny button.

She let out a silent yelp when she felt the sudden burst of heat in her palm and she immediately dropped what was left of the orb. She could see the intense brightness through her closed eyelids. But it only lasted for perhaps three seconds. Then the room was dark again and Melissa dared to open her eyes.

"Wow" she breathed. There was not a single fearling left. All that remained was a bit of dust hovering in the air around her like black fog that slowly descended toward the floor.

She heaved a relieved sigh, which almost hitched in her throat when she became aware of the Nightmare King.

And she instantly stumbled several steps backward when she realized where she was.

 _His bedroom? Gods! I've violated his private space... he won't like that... will he?_

But then she just stared for another few moments. She had never seen him without his robe. He was wearing tight fitting pants that reached all the way to his ankles but his chest and arms were bare. She found herself taking a step forward to get a better look.

When she saw him moving, she nearly jumped out of her skin again. All she wanted was to turn and run, but her own fear rooted her to the spot. She closed her eyes firmly again and braced herself for the dressing down she was going to get in a moment.

But nothing happened. Everything was silent except for the slight rusting of the sheets he slept upon and a barely audible noise that sounded strangely like...

 _Crying?_

Melissa opened her eyes and stared at the hardly visible shape on that strange pile of fabric. A bit of light flooded in from the flickering blue fires out in the main cavern and enabled her to see just enough.

He was still moving slightly. No, Melissa thought. It looked more like he was trying to move but couln't. And the soft sounds of distress were clearly coming from him. She bit down on her lip when she realized what she was looking at.

The Nightmare King himself was having a Nightmare. And judging his expression, it was a really bad one.

And once again Melissa felt completely torn. She wanted to get out of here. If Pitch woke up and caught here in here, out of her cage... she would be in so much trouble. And besides, she still had the option to run, to get away from here once and for all. There was still time.

She had gotten rid of those vampiric fiends for him, she had at least owed him that much. She had no more business here now. She should run as long as she still had the chance!

But instead her feet carried her to the side of the strange bed. It was rather high and reached almost to her chest. She knew she would probably regret this dearly but she pulled herself up onto it and marveled at the material. There were layers upon layers of it, all stacked up neatly and it felt quite soft, almost silky, despite the fact that it seemed also very strong.

But this didn't matter now.

She looked at him, wondering what to do and then she realized, that she had climbed up the wrong side of strange bed. He was on his back and it was his right arm and shoulder she was facing. The side he always tried to hide.

Melissa stared at the pale, human looking flesh in wonder for a moment. And then she noticed something else. He was wearing the locket that held his daughters picture on a long, thin silver chain around his neck. It had slipped from his chest and was now resting on the black canvas-like sheets beside his face.

She had to force herself to look at him, even though she was more curious about the locket. She wanted to see the picture inside. But she would not touch it. This was personal and probably very precious to him. She could not just pick it up and open it. Not without his permission.

Melissa looked at his face instead and even though his eyes were closed, she could see the pain he was in on his contorted features. Now she knew first hand how Katherine must have felt back at the earth's core and in Punjam Hy Loo. She knew her friend had somehow been sorry for him. Disgusted... but still sorry.

The girl bit her lip even harder than before. She somehow didn't feel that revulsion she had seen on Katherine's face back then. Maybe she had gotten used to being around the Nightmare King. Maybe it was because he had been kind of nice to her... maybe it was that moment outside, when they had been watching the stars.

She found herself incapable of hating him. All she felt was sorrow and the deep urge to help him.

Melissa crept a bit closer to him, reached out gingerly and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. The one that was half human flesh, half dark shadow. She had no idea what to expect but if felt perfectly normal. The fact surprised her a bit. Even as she stroked it carefully, it just felt like smooth, cool, regular skin – no matter the color.

She could feel his muscles tense under her hand as if he was trying to get away from her touch, but she kept her hand in place. She bent down to him until her face was close to his ear.

"Pitch?" she whispered awkwardly.

 _If he wakes up and realizes I am out of my cage..._

Melissa ignored the unsettling thought and stroked his shoulder again soothingly. She could feel him trembling. He was gasping for breath.

"Pitch, please calm down. It's just a bad dream!" she whispered and then gasped herself. She realized that these were the exact same words she had woken up to from her own nightmare.

Yes, she had woken up then, but he didn't. He was still shivering and she could see his hand clawing over the sheets as if searching for something, anything to hold on to.

Melissa reached out with her other hand and took his. She grasped it tightly and his long pale fingers closed around her small ones.

The girl closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm down. Her heart was beating so fast. It almost hurt but she was doing the right thing here, wasn't she? For one more moment she thought about freedom, about running away to find her friends again. But then she only squeezed the Nightmare King's hand tighter.

They would be fine. This beaten, tortured creature here needed her more. And that was the moment Melissa realized that she didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay. Right here with Pitch, their worst enemy. She wanted to help him. She wanted to do the impossible! To rid him of those shadowy monsters and help him find his way back to the light. Perhaps he was not beyond saving after all. It was most likely a fools errand, she was aware of this. But if she only believed hard enough...

She had learned that most important lesson from Katherine. Nothing was impossible if you only believed that it could be done.

And Melissa believed in the Nightmare King. He was just another tortured soul, looking for a way out of his misery and she would do whatever she could to help him. She remembered the night that lay behind. That moment outside when they had both admired the night sky. How could a creature that was evil to the core be able to _admire_ something so beautiful?

How could an evil man laugh so mirthfully at her first attempts to get those darkness orbs working?

How could an evil person be compassionate enough to wake her from her nightmare?

How could someone, everyone thought to be so bad that salt couldn't save him save her life and then fix her dislocated shoulder? He had spared her so much pain!

Melissa knew he had been playing the nice guy, but she had been doing the same all night. They had worked together, laughed together... it had been more than just plain acting.

She knew he had some evil plan in the making but still... he was not as bad as she had thought him to be. And Mother Nature, his daughter, his child, had beaten her senseless and left her to die because she had merely suggested this.

This had to be worse than loosing your loved ones to death. Her own family had died loving her. His daughter was alive and she rejected him. She thought of him as a monster. But what kind of monster would love his only child so dearly?

Melissa shook her head. Pitch was no monster. Not now, he was simply lost and afraid!

But now, she was also right here with him and she would not run away. She would not flee...

As those thoughts rushed through Melissa's mind she smiled and kept stroking that trembling shoulder of black and white.

"It's alright Pitch" she whispered soothingly. "Don't be afraid. You are not alone... not anymore."

And as if her own words had been meant for herself, she shook off his grasping hand and reached over, grabbed his good left shoulder and pulled him over onto his side.

And as soon as Pitch found his right side beneath himself he curled up into a tight ball.

Melissa crept a bit closer to him. Her hand was on his good shoulder now, stroking gently as she kept whispering words of comfort.

She remembered her original plan and shook her head at herself and at the strange decision she had just made.

"I am sorry Pitch" she sighed. "I had almost gone and done something incredibly stupid" she sighed, her hand still resting on his shoulder. "I almost ran away. I'm sorry. I swear, I won't try it again. Not unless you give me a good reason to do so" she promised. She knew that he probably couldn't hear her but it felt good to say it. It confirmed her resolution. She watched him thoughtfully and could feel his breath slow down along with his racing heartbeat.

She heaved a small sigh of relief. "I promise... I won't leave you alone with those monsters" she whispered with a grim and determined smile but it only remained on her face for a second and was then interrupted by a huge yawn. She was so tired and every muscle in her body was aching. She had been so tense all the time.

But now, she finally allowed herself to relax a bit and as she did Pitch's expression slowly relaxed too.

Melissa remained there for a little while longer, right by his side while her hand continued to stroke his shoulder. Pitch had calmed down and was sleeping soundly, as far as she could tell but she could not bring herself to look away from him. He looked so innocent, as if he couldn't hurt a fly. The sight mesmerized her, it made her last shreds of jumpiness melt away. He was fast asleep and she knew that no amount of shaking and yelling would wake him up easily.

So she withdrew her hand from his shoulder. "Sleep tight" she whispered. "And no more nightmares, please."

And then, she reached out one more time and ran a gentle hand over his cheek and then brushed a few strands of his wild, spiky and swirling hair out of his face. She gasped at the unexpected touch and then ran her fingers through it without shame.

 _It's... so soft..._

Then she pulled her hand away quickly however, thinking. She had made up her mind. She would not run away. She would stay. It would be an experiment, and hopefully it would bring about a change for the better. But she would need more of those bombs of light and she had no time to loose.

Melissa gingerly slipped down from his bed and tiptoed out of the room to get back over to the shelves.

She got to work methodically as she collected everything she would need, remembering everything's proper place as she did. She would leave no traces but would Pitch notice that things were missing?

She shrugged it off. She was doing this for his own good after all.

Then she sat down and started on the wire nets. Two new bombs would do it for now. The fearlings would probably not move in for another attack now and she would be ready for them the next day. She found it hard to believe that she was actually sleeping during the day and be up all night. Melissa had not been aware of that at first, but now that she knew about it, it somehow bothered her a bit.

She shrugged that thought off as well and concentrated on tying those dratted little knots. But one just can't sit in semi darkness, working on a secret weapon against the forces of darkness without their mind running off to other places.

And soon Melissa thought about her friends back in Santoff Claussen again. Or were they still in Punjam Hy Loo? Or at the Lunar Lamadary in the Himalayas? And where was Katherine? Pitch had said that she was somewhere here too! Perhaps she should stop tinkering and go looking for her.

 _Splendid idea... it's well... pitch black in those tunnels! I would be lost before I could get anywhere near her._

She chuckled silently at herself, but was at the same time worried about her friend. She had no idea what the Nightmare King had planned for her, but she knew she was alive. She knew he checked on her at least twice every night. She always saw him disappearing up that tunnel first thing in the evening and last thing in the morning before she fell asleep.

She gave a snort. How long had she been here? Two days? It felt more like two weeks already.

Melissa put the two finished nets aside and picked up one of the small, empty orbs. She had brought the jar filled with the explosive mixture over to the table along with the tiny funnel and the measuring cup she had used before.

Now she stood up and pried the jar open. When she was just about to fill the first orb the light of the nearest brazier, holding those strange blue flames seemed to dim a bit. She looked up, worrying that the light might go out. But what she saw made her gasp for breath in fright.

 _A fearling!_

She looked around quickly but there were no others – not yet. But the one that was there had spotted her and was coming for her now. She was not ready! She had nothing to defend herself with and she could feel her pulse racing.

She backed away from the creature towards the other workbenches. Melissa was sure she had seen weapons over there. She turned and ran, knowing that the fiend was right behind her.

" _Prisoner escaping..."_

The girl could hear the fearling hiss but then she caught a glimpse of sharp blades. Swords, sabers, daggers, all neatly lined up on a rack. She went for a dagger and then turned around to face the foe.

The weapon felt strange in her hand. It made her skin prickle uncomfortably but it was all she had. The fearling swooped down at her and she slashed the dagger at it. She stumbled backwards in disbelief as the blade went right through the shadow without doing anything at all.

" _Stupid human! You can't fight darkness with darkness!"_

The creature lunged at her and Melissa ducked, crawled, jumped to her feet again and dashed away.

" _You can run, but you can't hide. You are mine now!"_

"Shut up" she hissed back over her shoulder as she made for the workbench she had been sitting at before.

The jar with the stardust was open and she took cover behind it. The fearling was close, but not close enough yet. The girl bit her lip and then stuck the dagger, blade first into the jar. It made a strange sizzling sound, like water evaporating on a hot stove.

When she pulled it out, the dark blade was lined with silvery powder that gave it a slight glow.

"Thank's for the hint!" she spat and when the fearling came swooping down for the next attack, she slashed again.

Only this time, it was the creature who shrieked in surprise and obvious pain before it disintegrated right before her eyes.

She stared down at the dagger in her hand, breathing hard. The blade was still glowing softly. She looked from the short weapon to the jar and smiled. "I love this stuff, I really do!"

She placed the dagger on the table beside her and started to work again. She filled the two orbs and sealed them. Then she carefully wrapped the wire-nets around them, hoping she would not accidentally break one or push that button. Her hand still hurt a bit where it had gotten burnt before. But it was nothing too bad and didn't hinder her much.

She was finished within minutes and started cleaning up. Soon everything was back where it belonged, but what was she going to do about that dagger? She had already tried to wipe the stardust away, but the stuff seemed to have somehow melded with the dark blade and no amount of wiping and rubbing would take it off.

She had two options: She could either just put it back from where she had taken it and hope Pitch would not notice that something was wrong with it. Or she could keep it, hide it inside her cage and hope that Pitch would not notice it was missing. It was a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea, but that small blade would surely come in handy again.

So she decided for what seemed like the lesser of two evils and stuck the dagger into her belt. She looked around the cavern one last time and nodded. Everything was where it should be and nothing hinted at her secret activity.

But when she turned to her cage, she found herself facing a new problem. She had slid down that rope quite easily. But up would be some new kind of challenge. She knew how to climb trees and steep mountainsides... but a rope?

 _Come on... how hard can that be?_

She clasped her hands around it and started, pulling with her hands and pushing with her feet.

About ten minutes later her hands were hurting like hell, specially the one she had burnt earlier and she was close to tears both from frustration and weariness.

And she had almost made it all the way up too, but then it had just been too much and she couldn't go on. She had to give up. Her arms needed to rest. The rest of her needed to rest too.

She lay down on her back and stared up at the cage angrily. She would just relax for a bit and then give it another try.

But merely two minutes later, she suddenly sat up straight. She could feel her skin crawl and then she saw the movement in the darkness along the walls.

 _Ooooh no..._

The fearlings were back. Lots of them.

Melissa was on her feet and half way up the rope before they even noticed her. But then the race was on. The girl could feel their eyes on her as she pulled herself up without daring to look . She barely used her feet now but simply climbed on in pure panic – one hand above the other while her body was swinging freely. Her terror numbed the burning pain in her sore hands.

When she pulled herself inside the cage and slammed the door shut behind her, she was even a bit surprised. But so were the fearlings that were now swarming around her cage hissing and raking their shadowy claws over the bars.

She could not understand their dreadful whisperings but she had a pretty good idea what this was about. They had seen her out of the cage! They knew she had found a way to escape. They might tell their master about it or not, but Melissa was not willing to take her chances. She pulled one of the small orbs she had only just made from her pocket.

The girl really didn't want to use it so soon already but what choice did she have? She would make more the moment she got the chance.

This time, she pulled down her sleeve over her hand, covering it before she dared to handle the tiny explosive.

She prepared herself mentally for the blast when the fearlings suddenly withdrew and moved away.

"Hey" she gasped. "Where do you think you are going?"

They ignored her and headed for the door at the other end of the cavern.

 _Oh no you won't..._

She was back at the door in an instant and opened it.

And as if the vile creatures had only waited for this, they turned back as one and came right at her like a black storm.

But the girl was ready. Acting fearful, she backed away inside the cage, leaving the door wide open, luring them. And the moment they began to crowd in, she closed her eyes, pressed down on the tiny button and immediately threw the ball of brightness towards them.

She heard their eerie screeching, but only for a split second. Then everything was quiet once more. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and looked around listening carefully. But there was not a sound.

Melissa breathed deeply again and finally closed the door to her cage, locking herself in. Then she pulled up the rope, rolled it up over her arm and shoulder and stuffed it back under her furs. Then she took out the dagger to place it there in the mound in the middle of the rolled up rope.

This way she could still use the fur covered rope as a pillow without hurting herself on the sharp blade.

She examined it shortly but intently. There still was that glow to it. The handle was fashioned of some dull gray metal, iron perhaps. But the blade itself was made of something the girl had never seen before. It was deep back and gleaming like burnished obsidian. But now it was sprinkled with tiny dots of silver that made it look like a night sky covered with stars.

It was quite beautiful to look at and Melissa found it hard to put it away. But finally her exhaustion won over. She curled up under her blanket and fell asleep within minutes.

(please review)


	9. Chapter 9

When Pitch awoke hours later, he could tell instantly that it was a new night. Something was in the air. He felt different somehow, more alert, more awake, he couldn't really lay his finger on it. Everything seemed a bit clearer to him as he thought about his plan. He would go and check on his prisoners and then he would have to remain vigilant. He was expecting the Guardian's arrival any time now and he had to be ready for them.

He had been wondering if he should actually allow the Guardians to take the other girl too. But that was before he had realized how useful she was. That night before had changed his mind. The child was truly promising. Perhaps when all this was over, he would turn her and make her his darkling daughter instead of Katherine.

He kept pondering about this as he stretched his long limbs and finally got up with vim, donned his robe and cloak and left his room for the main cavern with a bounce in his step.

He looked up at the cage that held the odd girl. She would not like it, but he was not going to let her go home anytime soon. Possibly not ever. But he could not be sure yet. She certainly had her uses, but having a human child around here also meant additional chores for him. He would have to keep her fed, clean and healthy.

Turning her darkling would solve this problem. She would become like him - in theory. He had never done it before after all. There could be side effects. The process might damage her creative mind, it might break her spirit and turn her into a dull and gloomy puppet. But it was more than simple obedience that he wanted.

What he truly longed for was loyalty. Someone he could trust his own life with and perhaps just company. Someone he could talk to on an eye to eye level. The fearlings were merely mindless servants and they were not exactly talkactive.

But to achieve this, the child would have to forget about her old life, her friends and parents. And for all he knew, turning her was the only way to make this happen.

He listened for any sounds but she seemed to be still fast asleep.

No nightmare today? He wondered with a smirk and decided then to head off first and find her some food. His new ability to travel through the realm of shadows was really an exceptionally useful one. It saved him a lot of time and trouble and he was back inside his cavern within mere minutes, carrying a few pieces of fruit and a steaming bowl of porridge.

Pitch lowered her cage, unlocked it and entered. He placed the child's breakfast on the ground and approached her with a frown. She was really fast asleep and he could tell by her breathing that she would not be done with it soon. This kind of deep sleep usually followed hard labor and exhaustion. It made him wonder.

 _Maybe she's had that nightmare again earlier... that could be the reason she's so worn out. Dreams like this can probably do that to a child._

Pitch felt himself shudder at the mere memory of her personal nightmare, the memory of her father's awful death.

But still, he had gone out of his way, to provide her with what he thought looked like a healthy breakfast and it would get cold too.

"Wake up!" he ordered as he bent down and shook her. She mumbled something unintelligible but didn't wake.

"Come on, girl. Snap out of it. You can't possibly be that tired!" He shoved her a bit less gently than before.

"Mhh... please Papa..." she sighed and pulled a bit of a grimace. "Just a bit longer."

Pitch jumped back from her as if she had bitten him, but then calmed himself with an effort.

 _She's dreaming... simply dreaming. That's all._

He sighed deeply and shook his head at her. "Whatever, but don't complain about that cold oatmeal later!" he huffed and left her alone.

He watched the cage ascend and then turned on his heel briskly to go and check on the other girl, that child-Guardian.

On his way through the dark tunnels that led him to the upper level, he tried to shake off that odd sensation he still felt.

"She was just dreaming" he told himself repeatedly, though he still felt quite queasy. "Or remembering her dead family. No need to get all jumpy."

He reached the chamber where Katherine lay asleep, caught inside a sphere of eternally swirling nightmares. Tiny, fist sized fearlings were keeping her in a trance like state, feeding her nightmarish images that made her shiver. The girl was crying softly in her sleep.

"Serves her right" Pitch thought with a frown. "For giving me that dratted locket... I wish she had never reminded me..."

He smirked down at her pale face and rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Nasty things, nightmares, aren't they? I sure do consider myself lucky. As the King of Nightmares I am immune to such ..."

He had not even finished the sentence when strange images and the memory of fear and unbearable pain rushed through him like a shadow of something he had only recently experienced.

Pitch staggered backwards and nearly collapsed when he connected with the wall.

"What in the darkest hell is this?" He moaned and used the wall for support.

But his memory seemed to have developed a mind of his own. Pictures of a crowded street flashed up before his eyes. There were people everywhere, walking towards him, through him!

And then he remembered. It all came back to him within a matter of seconds and as clear as starlight. He remembered not only the nightmare he had had just hours ago but he could also recall having very similar night terrors ever so many times before.

He leaned his back against the wall as his legs grew soft and he found himself slipping to the ground.

Pitch squeezed his eyes shut, but the images didn't go away. He only saw them more vividly. He felt that pain again, that fear of dying. But his mind was still so strangely clear, even through all of this horror flooding in on him. He knew, that he was seeing and feeling only a faint memory of a nightmare. It was not nearly as potent as the real thing.

He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his forehead upon them, fighting against the mental torture.

The Nightmare King knew that it was not real. Not yet. It was merely the memory of a dream. A painful and devastating dream and he saw this with such clearness, that he managed to distance himself from it with pure willpower.

He sat up straight and rested his head against the cool wall behind him. But he still felt as if his own mind was laughing into his face for proving him wrong. He was not immune to nightmares, not one bit. And Pitch understood that he had gone through this every single day. Every time he had ever allowed himself to sleep!

Pitch cursed silently and then asked himself why he had never remembered any of those dreams before. And why did he remember them now? Now of all times... when he was so close to victory! He could not let this affect him. The Guardians could be here any minute. He needed to focus! He could still rack his brains about those dreams later.

Perhaps when the Guardians were dealt with, those terrors would go away by themselves. But what did they mean? Why did he have them? And why... _why_ had he never known until now?

A weak sob made him look up at the sleeping child. She was trapped in a realm of Nightmares. Pitch had no idea what she was dreaming. He trusted his fearlings to seek out her greatest fears and bring them to life inside her mind.

He had truly considered turning her darkling. Not because she would have been such a great daughter, but because it would have broken every single one of the Guardians. He would have ordered her to attack them, knowing that they would never hurt her.

It would have been the perfect revenge for all the pain they had caused him.

But now that he knew the true power of his dark gift, the power of nightmares, he suddenly felt a little tight around the chest. She was merely bait after all. At least for now. Was there really any need to make her suffer more than necessary? Perhaps he should ease down on her nightmares just a bit. She would be of little use to him if she worked herself into a heart attack or something. And if she suffered any serious damage the Guardians would surely discard all their plans and come after him to rip out his throat. They would hunt him down to the end of the universe.

Pitch struggled a bit to get to his feet and then approached the barely visible sphere that surrounded the girl. He reached out and forced it open just a bit, commanding a good number of fearlings to get out. They looked at him in irritation as he pulled them off their job.

"She's no use to us if she takes damage. It might even prove counterproductive. A slightly bad dream will do from this point on. The Guardians will be here soon enough" he explained harshly. "Go now. I might need you elsewhere."

The tiny fearlings dashed off into the shadows of their own realm and the Nightmare King pulled out a flask from his pocket. He reached into the sphere and got a hold of the girls head. The tangled mess of her auburn hair wrapped around his fingers as he lifted her head. He had to feed her somehow. He could not let her die from lack of food or water and so he carefully fed her the contents of the flask. It was not easy to force it between her teeth, it never was. But soon she sucked in the potent nourishing liquid. And Pitch didn't pull away until he was sure the flask was empty.

"Good girl" he whispered. "Now just stay asleep until your friends show up to save you."

A minute later he stretched again and gave the coffin shaped rock on which the girl slept a gentle pat. "See you later" he grinned as he left the chamber. But on his way back to the lower main cavern he thought about his own nightmares again.

Something had happened to him this past day while he had been sleeping. By now he could clearly remember all of them. All those terrible nightmares he had had. They had all been like this, the awful pain of having his soul ripped out, his very being and his life at stake. In every single one he had suffered to the very end. In each and every dream he had died in the end as the last tiny bit of who he was had been stomped out.

He even knew he had screamed. He had truly died and with him all the memories of the dream. And still, he had awoken anew every evening, completely oblivious.

But this last one had been different. Something had happened and he had no idea what it was or why it had happened now. He appreciated the new sense of clearness but he wondered if it might be some bad omen. He was not superstitious but anything new to his existence distracted him, and he could not be distracted. Not now!

He stormed into the large cavern and started to pick up things he would need. First of all, his brand new weapon, made of solid darkness. He had had too much bad luck with swords lately and therefore had given it the shape of a scythe instead. It was a slow weapon, that he knew but he would make up for this with his own swiftness. What mattered most was the fact that it gave him a greater reach. It had taken him some time to create it and he was quite proud of his work. All he had to do was hold out his hand and it would become a part of him and would materialize whenever he needed it. It was a fancy bit of his own magic and he couldn't wait to try it out in real battle.

But then, if his plan worked out, there would not even be a battle. He knew the Guardians were powerful, very powerful! They had beaten him three times already. But this time, he would win for sure. Those morons would not even know what was happening until it was too late for them.

All he needed was stealth and his ability to posses inanimate objects. He had learned all he needed to know from that girl's - Katherine's memories. He knew everything there was to know about the Guardians now. Their weaknesses, their dreams, their plans. They would play right into his hands.

"Evening Pitch!"

He almost jumped at the sound of the barely audible whisper. He had been rummaging around his workshop in a hurry and had not even noticed that that odd girl had awoken.

He turned around and looked up at her cage. She was sitting close to the bars cross-legged with the bowl of now cold porridge in her lap and the spoon in her hand. But what struck him most was her smile.

"Look who's back amongst the living" the Nightmare King sneered but Melissa's smile only brightened. He had heard her!

"Thanks for the porridge" she whispered. "It's my favorite."

"It's probably cold now" he huffed but the child's smile didn't waver.

"Yes, it is. I'm sorry I'm such a sleepy head, but it's still good. Especially with the peaches."

Right, he had picked up some sort of fruit and dropped it in there.

"Good for you" he sighed and walked off. He had important business to attend to.

"Where are you going?" Melissa whispered down at him curiously.

"I have work to do" he huffed back at her without even looking.

"Wait!" she wailed but it sounded more like a silent echo in the air. The Nightmare King turned around to the dangling cage with an annoyed frown.

"What do you want?" he snarled.

Melissa dropped the empty bowl and the spoon and clasped the bars or her prison instead.

"I wanted to make that weaving loom today... tonight, remember? Or if you have anything else that needs fixing, I'll do it... just please... please get me out of this cage!" she pleaded. "I am dying of boredom in here."

"I will not be here to keep an eye on you. So you will stay where you are!" he growled impatiently.

Melissa stared down at him in fright. Being alone meant exposure to the fearlings and she had only one bomb left now. Even though, they could not get into her cage, she still feared them.

"Where are you going?" he asked again nervously.

Pitch glared up at her, but then found his evil grin. There was no harm in telling her. She would not go anywhere and he wanted to see her reaction.

"Someone will show up soon to rescue your friend Katherine. I will hitch a ride with them to their newly built city at the North Pole. But first, I have to find out when they will be here."

Melissa stared down at him. What was he talking about? Sure, the Guardians would come to save Katherine, but she had never heard about a new city... _oh wait... that paper model Nicholas had showed to the Man in the Moon!_

She ran her hand over her face and through her hair in confusion. Katherine was in the clutches of their worst enemy, she was missing too, and they would go and build a new village instead of searching for her... for them?

"Some friends, aren't they?" Pitch chuckled as if he had read her thoughts, but then he wondered. If he wanted to turn this girl later, he would have to know as much as possible about her. He knew she enjoyed watching the night sky. There would be enough time to lock her up again before the show, as long as he spotted the Guardians in time. And two pairs of eyes would see more than just one.

He might actually learn a few more things about the child and besides, if those Guardians didn't show up really soon, he was going to have an extremely boring night. Bringing the girl along suddenly didn't seem like such a bad idea.

But then she interrupted his pondering with yet another question.

"Why would you go to that … new city? What do you want there?" she hissed quite coldly.

Again he glared at her, but she held his gaze. "You sure are a curious little wench" he sighed then and walked over to the control desk. "I might tell you later, but first..."

When the cage started to descend, the girl actually looked quite startled, she even stumbled back from the bars and out of sight. She had obviously not expected him to give in so easily. He scowled a bit at the idea.

Then her prison was down and he unlocked the door. She still stood back, keeping her distance, suspicious about his sudden willingness to let her out.

"You wanted out, didn't you? Alright! But since I can't let you mess up my workshop, you will have to come with me. Now move it!" he ordered.

Melissa stared back at him, and moved forward just a step or two.

"And for the record, I have not given in! I have merely changed my mind!" he taught her and Melissa bit her lip in an effort to hold back a sarcastic remark that seemed to be hopping up and down on the tip of her tongue like a mischievous little imp demanding to be let out.

Instead she merely nodded blankly while he motioned for her to step out and the girl only hesitated for another barely noticeable instant. Pitch squinted his eyes at her. His perception was excellent and the moment had not escaped his attention.

So she was nervous, he thought with the tiniest of gleeful smiles.

 _Not so fearless after all, are we?_

Admitted, she was nervous, yes. But not for the reasons the Nightmare King suspected.

The moment he had started to let the cage down, she had dashed to her makeshift pillow and had hidden her last light-bomb in the mound next to the dagger. She knew that if she brought it along, she would not be able to stop fidgeting. Her own jumpiness would probably give her away.

Now with her secret weapons hidden, she felt calmer, until she noticed that she had not covered the rope properly and it was slightly peeking out from under the furs.

Melissa avoided looking at it as she walked past and stepped out of her cage. And no matter just how amazing the Nightmare King's perception was, he did not notice this tiny detail.

And as soon as she followed him away from the cage, she calmed down again.

The odd fact that he walked ahead and simply trusted her to follow him caused her to stop for a moment. But then she shrugged it off and hurried to catch up with him.

She kept perhaps half a step behind him as they crossed the vast cavern all the way to the furthest end. Melissa had never been down here before but there was nothing new to see, only dim light and bare walls of crude rock. But then her captor and now guide entered yet another dark tunnel and the girl was almost instantly blind.

She stopped in her tracks.

"Um, Pitch?" she whispered nervously but she didn't need to explain. She even flinched slightly when she suddenly felt a hand grab her collar again. But he didn't grasp her tightly, just firm enough to keep her walking and on her feet if there was any stumbling.

She took a deep steadying breath and followed his lead.

After a while, she could sense that they were climbing. The path was not steep but they were steadily going up. She wondered if Katherine was somewhere near by. Melissa listened but there was not a sound except for their footsteps and the occasional sound of dripping water.

Another few minutes later, she could no longer contain her curiosity.

"Where are we going?" she whispered and looked up to where she believed his face was. She could see only blackness though.

"You'll see" he replied. The girl bit her lip to hide a grin. His voice betrayed more than his face ever would. She could tell by the tone that he was grinning as well and by the speed of his reply she knew that he had in fact been waiting for her to ask. He was obviously eager so show her something.

"I have a hunch you will like it" he added a moment later, confirming her suspicions. She was being pulled along at a slightly quicker pace as before, but she did not really mind.

She was really quite excited and curious now, wondering what exactly she was going to see. They were still going up and finally around a sharp left bend when Melissa realized that the ground was even again and their footsteps sounded different than before, as if they had entered a larger chamber.

"What are you smiling at?" Pitch asked surly. For a moment the girl was surprised at the sudden harsh tone but she shrugged.

"I guess I... I am looking forward to arriving... wherever we are going. You said you think I might like it" she stammered, not sure why he suddenly sounded so angry.

But a moment later she heard him chuckle. "So, you actually trust me to tell you the truth" he remarked cynically and caused Melissa to gasp she tried to take a step back but he still held her quite firmly by her collar.

 _What is he playing at? Somehow I thought..._

"Don't move" he added in his most sinister voice. It sounded like a promise of impending doom.

 _This is it... he's done playing nicely... now what?_

But there was little, Melissa could actually do. She still couldn't see a thing and when he let go of her, she stood stock still, tense with fright. She closed her eyes and waited.

She could hear him move away from her.

The Nightmare King truly enjoyed himself right now. He could feel how nervous she was. She was finally properly afraid of him again.

 _How wonderful! But now for the best part._

He was at the center of the large, circular chamber handling a lever on yet another strange control desk and all at once blue flames erupted from small braziers around the room.

Melissa could feel the change and dared to open her eyes. But what she saw then made her jaw drop. The room... if it could be called thus was completely circular by nature. They stood inside the crater of an extinct volcano. Above her and as far as she could see around was the clear night sky, but there seemed to be some sort of translucent ceiling.

The sight alone was already stunning but what truly mesmerized her was the assortment of telescopes that stood scattered around the room. One of them was so large, it needed a small staircase to get up to the attached seat. But there were also numerous smaller ones of different designs and there were also a couple of stools standing around.

For a few long seconds she merely stood there and took it all in, gaping and gasping for breath.

"Wow" she finally breathed.

Pitch watched her dumbfounded face out of the corner of his eye but made sure she could not see his own expression. He was actually gloating over her wonder and obvious awe. But he did not want her to see his smile. He busied himself with a few controls on the huge telescope that dominated the place until he finally managed to keep a straight face.

"So? Do you like it?" he asked finally and shot a glance over his shoulder at her.

Melissa had not moved at all but her expression was telling enough.

"Like it?" she gasped. "Are you kidding me? This is… wonderful... it's amazing!" She stared up at the sky and took a deep breath.

"Do you know how to use a telescope?" he asked suddenly sounding like a business man but Melissa was still too amazed to really notice it. She shook her head however.

"I have never even seen one up close... oh wait, yes... there are a few in Big Root, but nothing like this!" she whispered in ecstasy.

Pitch could not help but chuckle at this. He loved to boast, but usually there was simply no one around he could show off to. He was quite proud of his collection and the girl seemed to appreciate it. No, she was almost beside herself with admiration.

"Why don't you give it a try?" he offered and as if he had turned a switch the girl's face fell and she looked at him quite blankly.

"You ordered me not to move."

And it did cost her quite an effort to do so. To stand still like this. She felt like a kid in a candy store. Alright, she was a kid, but this was still better than candy. Moon, it was better than Bunnymund's chocolate eggs! She had craved to look through a telescope from the day she had first heard of them. And then she had seen them in Santoff Claussen, but with all that was going on, there had been no time.

But it was one of her secret dreams and it was about to come true, or wasn't it? Was he just teasing her?

"Oh sorry, my bad" the Nightmare King actually apologized, but he did so with a grin, one that Melissa had not seen on his face before but one she had heard in his voice only minutes ago.

"Which one do you like most?" he asked and gestured around the room.

The girl shrugged. "I don't know" she admitted but followed up quickly with her own question. "Which one do _you_ like most?"

The Nightmare King shrugged and looked up at the monstrously big device he was standing beside.

"I should have known" Melissa smiled. "But this looks way too big and complicated for me. My bad, I should have asked, which one would you recommend for a beginner?"

He looked back at her and nodded. The girl knew her limits, she was sensible and despite her eagerness not overenthusiastic. And she was patient too. She still stood rooted to the spot. He had not yet allowed her to move.

"It depends on what you want to see" he explained quite patiently himself. "Do you want to look at the planets of your solar system? Or do you want to see far away stars that have planets of their own?"

Melissa shrugged, she felt a bit overwhelmed.

"Or would you like to help me watch the sky for signs of your friends?" Pitch continued slowly. "In this case you would want to choose a weaker device."

"I'm not sure" she shrugged. "I would like to help you, but... what makes you think they will come in the night? And as far as I know only Nightlight and the Queen Toothiana can fly. If they know where we are, I'd be more worried about Bunnymund popping up from your bedroom floor while you are sleeping with an army of abominable snowmen and warrior eggs at his fluffy tail."

Pitch stared at her for a moment and then shook his head. "No, child. I am not worried about that, because your friends are currently still busy building their dream. There is a new force out there now. I have felt it awakening and I know it is yet another Guardian. He is the one who will come looking for Katherine. He and perhaps that obnoxious sprite."

"A new Guardian?" Melissa gasped as her eyes grew wide. "Who?"

"I wish I knew" Pitch admitted. "But from what I feel from this new force that has awakened, he is a creature of the night. He will avoid sunlight! But he will come, and when he does, it will be dark."

"What kind of telescope would be suitable for that task?" she asked with a frown.

Pitch gestured to a bulky looking thing that looked more like a pair of giant binoculars on a stand. He glanced over at the girl, waiting for a look of disappointment. But the girl simply nodded and then looked up at the sky. She could still see a soft brightness in the west. The night was young, the sun had set perhaps an hour ago. They would have a lot of looking to do.

"May I try it?" she asked carefully.

"Come over here and I'll show you how it works."

At this, Melissa finally dared to move. She slowly walked up to him and watched as he showed her a few features of the odd looking device. She took it all in without interrupting him. But when he looked at her at the end of his lecture, she simply nodded and all she whispered was "I understand."

Then, to the Nightmare King's surprise she pulled up a seat to the device and started testing it. He watched her as she turned the small wheels and gears just as he had told her and when she finally let out a satisfied sigh he actually smiled.

 _Clever kid. She's a fast learner too. I really thought she would have gone for something bigger... how odd though... she seems to trust my judgment._

But then he noticed her smiling up at him too and he quickly took a few steps back.

"Alright" he said blankly. "The East and South is all yours. I'll watch the North and West."

"Affirmative!" Melissa whispered with a grin and saluted to him in a funny childish way. She had not even discovered half of this telescope's secrets, but she was already having the time of her life.

She watched him as he walked away and mounted the huge telescope. It was not far away but she wasn't sure if she could still talk to him.

She shrugged and looked through her device. It was nothing grand, but it was pretty neat. She could see the night sky through it but clouds had started to move in, blocking out the stars but she could see them swirling up close.

The device was quite easy to handle and she could swing it around with ease. She tried different angles but all she saw was dark sky and swirling clouds... but then... just for a moment she thought she saw a familiar face in those clouds. A face that filled her with dread and made her still slightly sore shoulder ache.

"It's her" she whispered in horror.

"Who?" Pitch asked and turned around on his seat from which he had been watching the sky himself.

Melissa looked up and around in surprise. He could still hear her!

" _Her!_ " she repeated and rubbed her shoulder. "She is making all the clouds to block out the stars. I saw her face, you don't think she's the one..."

"She said she wouldn't interfere" Pitch said flatly but Melissa could hear that his voice was a bit shaky.

She nodded up to him. "She is probably just doing her stuff."

"Probably" Pitch replied, his eyes glued to the massive telescope again.

"Pitch?" Melissa whispered but did not take her eyes of the dark skies she saw through her spyglass.

"What?"

"Will you tell me about that ceiling?"

"It is not a ceiling" he said quietly. "It's a barrier... a ward."

"A magic spell?"

"Yes... and it took me a good part of the last eight months to put it up."

The girl nodded. Eight months ago the Guardians and Katherine had defeated Pitch at the Earth's core.

"It's impressive" she admitted however. "How do you keep it up?"

"It is stabilized. It will hold for a while, a few hundred years at least."

"What does it do?"

"It is clear on the inside as you can see, but from the outside it gives this extinct volcano the image of a perfectly normal mountain."

"It camouflages your observatory!" she exclaimed voicelessly but with audible admiration.

The Nightmare King drew his eyes back from the massive telescope and looked down at her. The girl however was busy looking through her state of the art light sensitive binoculars.

"And anyone inside it" he simply confirmed before he turned back to his own observations.

They kept up their watch without further conversation for a long time, but Melissa never got bored, she discovered new and incredible functions of her device. There was one for night vision and this she understood but there were other spectrums of light that she had never dreamed of before.

One adjustment showed her the sky in shades of silver, another one in purple and yet another one in cold dark blue but it was not just the color that changed.

One twist of the small gear showed her strange lines that ran across a ruby sky, another twist and she saw silvery swirls in a mass of blues and purples. Melissa had no idea what all of this meant, but it sure was beautiful to look at. But after a while, she got a bit bored, even with that. The sky didn't change much since it was now covered with a thick layer of clouds.

She pulled up her legs and stood up upon her seat and forced the device to give her a view of the world she was on. For a moment she only saw a mass of shadows and nearly flinched, but then she realized that they were not fearlings.

She was looking down on a small copse of grand oaks and beeches. She zoomed out and recognized the small valley surrounded by spiky mountain tops. She saw the bushes and the cave. This was where she had taken a leak the other day... and she actually needed to go again but didn't dare to say so. Maybe later, when Pitch would take her back to the cage.

She switched on the night vision and looked at the place more closely. Soon she realized that any attempt to flee from this place would have been suicide. The entire valley was surrounded by vertical rock that rose up in high pointy peaks. There was absolutely no way out of there and when she realized this, Melissa was even happier she had not even tried to run. It would have been such a waste of time.

But she kept exploring the small valley even though she knew she was supposed to keep an eye on the sky. The huge trees and the tangled up bushes were just more interesting and then she saw a small lake that was fed by a thin waterfall. It emptied into a creek that flowed through he valley, nourishing the lush grass and the now sleeping clumps of mountain forget-me-nots on it's shore and finally disappeared underground.

It was so beautiful. A tiny paradise embedded in a vast gray mountain range. As she moved the binoculars around the place she suddenly noticed something odd. There in one of those great oaks was something strange, something dark and solid, something that didn't belong. Melissa switched through the different light spectrums and finally came to the conclusion that it was a boat. A real boat! Stuck inside a tree on a mountain!

 _What the heck? How did that get here? It does look strange... like no boat or ship I've ever seen..._

She shook her head and wondered. No matter what she did with her binoculars, the thing always came back as a black shape. Everything else changed colors but this thing didn't. It was darkness, simply darkness.

"You seeing anything?" Pitch asked suddenly. He sounded bored and Melissa quickly adjusted her device to look back at the sky.

"Just clouds" she sighed and rubbed her knuckles over her eyes. But she remembered what she was looking for and turned back to those amazing binoculars again. And as soon as she looked through them she saw darkness... she had accidentally turned the wheel and was in a spectrum that she hadn't understood yet. She was just about to make adjustments when a bright red flash crossed her vision.

"What" she rasped in surprise. "Was that?"

"What?" Pitch turned around on his seat and looked down on her. But the girl was too concentrated to notice. She was turning three wheels with only two hands at the same time, and the device moved as if following some sort of target.

"What do you see?" he asked again but Melissa had her hands and her mind to full to answer just yet. But then she had a clear picture and she gasped.

"It's a cloud" she gasped and Pitch rolled his eyes. "A golden cloud! And a short golden man is standing on it!"

"What?" Pitch nearly shouted and was down from his perch in an instant. "Let me see!" He almost pushed Melissa from her stool but she was right back at him, trying to get back at the binoculars.

"Let me see!" she nagged but Pitch didn't budge and the girl just wrung her hands. The Nightmare King didn't even notice her agitation.

"That's him!" he said grimly. "The new Guardian! But why is he..."

Melissa looked up up at the translucent ceiling and could see the tiny golden dot moving along under the dark clouds.

"He's passing us by?" she whispered. "Why is he passing us by? Doesn't he know Katherine is here?"

The Nightmare King looked around at her. "He obviously doesn't. It seems... I have overestimated that little man."

The girl returned his gaze and could tell that he was on the verge of a full blown tantrum and she knew better than to ask any more questions.

"Now what?" Pitch asked instead and she watched him as he got up from her seat and started pacing.

"What am I supposed to do? Leave breadcrumbs for them to follow? It really isn't that hard! All he needs to do is a bit of thinking. They really should have figured out by now where I've hid her!"

Melissa sighed quietly.

 _Goodness, he's having a conversation with himself._

If it had not been for the situation, she probably would have grinned at this, but right now she was only slightly worried.

Pitch clenched his fists and glared up into the sky. Then he tensed when his eyes caught a flicker of light in the dark.

"Him!" he barked. He didn't even need a telescope to recognize his enemy. " _He_ should know! He should _remember!_ "

Melissa's eyes followed his gaze and she gasped in surprise.

"Nightlight!" she wanted to shout out but barely managed to whisper the spectral boy's name.

They both watched him as he too flew off in the same direction as the strange golden man and finally disappeared on the horizon.

"Drat it!" both the Nightmare King and the girl sighed in unison.

Melissa turned around to him and for a moment they just stared at each other with blank faces. Then the girl gave a meek smile and shrugged.

"They will find her" she whispered. "They are the Guardians of childhood after all. They've never failed before and they won't fail now. Perhaps they just need a little more time."

The Nightmare King could only stare at her in stunned silence.

 _What is it with that child? Was that a threat or is she sympathizing with me? It would sure be easier to tell if she had a voice._

He sighed and sat down on one of the vacant stools, studying her from head to toe. Melissa felt a bit like a cow on a market. Why was he looking at her like that? It made her feel very uncomfortable. Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. But against her better judgment she dared to ask him one more question.

"What are you going to do now?"

He was still watching her closely but the rage was gone from his eyes. They were just dark, cold and calculating now and perhaps still a bit gloomy with disappointment.

"Wait" he said simply and shrugged. "You are probably right. I should be more patient and just wait for them again tomorrow night."

 _Did he just say … ?_

Melissa stared at him, he seemed strangely calm and collected but she could tell by his frown and the way he was flexing his fingers, that he was seething underneath.

But he stood up and turned to the control desk. "Let's go back. You still want to build that loom, right?"

"I do, but..."

A moment later the lights went out and somehow along with them, the translucent ceiling turned black as well. Once again Melissa found herself in complete darkness.

She waited patiently for her captor to get her and this time she did not even blink when she felt his hand once again on her collar.

"They might come back" she suggested but the Nightmare King disagreed.

"Not tonight."

"Why?"

"The sun will rise in a few hours" he said as if this explained everything.

Melissa took that in and wondered. Could it really be so late already? Had they spent that much time just looking at gray clouds? She kept on pondering about this until she found herself in that large main cavern again. She looked around for any signs of fearlings but couldn't see any.

Pitch took notice of this and sighed. "Don't worry" he said then. "They won't come as long as you are down here."

"You sure?"

"I know. I gave the order."

"Oh..."

 _He told them to stay away? That's actually... nice. But will they obey?_

He prompted her to browse the shelves to find whatever she needed for her new project.

She did as she was told and felt very strange as she scanned their contents for anything soft enough to work with. It took her quite a while. Everything seemed to be made of metal. Most of it was way too hard to form, but some pieces were so soft they bend with ease but Melissa had no use for something that unstable either.

Finally she came across a few wooden sticks. They were crudely cut and splintered. She wondered what they were for.

She looked around for her captor and found him pacing aimlessly around the part of the cavern that made the armory. He really was in a strange mood. Melissa understood that he was probably excited about his so called plan to defeat her friends and still disappointed that the Guardians had not shown up to get Katherine, which seemed perfectly weird to her.

But the way he kept picking up random things only to put them away again, the way he kept fidgeting with the sleeves of his robes, kneading his hands and muttering to himself incessantly made the girl wonder. All of this irritating behavior indicated that he was really, really nervous.

 _Is he always like this before he attacks my friends? It's hard to believe but...it makes him seem so human._

"What are you looking at" he suddenly barked at her and Melissa nearly dropped the wood in surprise.

"Sorry" she whispered and took a careful step back. He was so moody!

"Can... can I use this?" she simply asked then and held up the wood. She felt a bit ashamed because even her whisper was kind of shaky.

"It's just firewood now anyway" he shrugged. "Do with it what you want."

He sat down at the workbench and turned his back to her. But the girl did not dare to approach the table. In this strange state, there was no telling what he might do. Pitch seemed just too unpredictable right now. But he couldn't sit still for more than a minute anyway.

He was back on his feet only moments later and he seemed to be heading back to his weapon racks. But instead he turned around and saw her standing right where she had been before. She even took another step back as if expecting punishment.

The Nightmare King frowned and watched her closely. Something was up.

"You are afraid" he realized then. It surprised him. He hadn't done or said anything to scare her, but there she stood and it was written all over her face. Her dark blue eyes were wide and her face looked even paler than usual in the flickering light of the unnatural fires.

The girl merely shrugged but then indicated a tiny nod.

"Why?" Pitch didn't understand where this came from but he could feel it. She was practically radiating anxiety. He had never felt a person's fear so profoundly before, he could almost taste it!

"Because _you_ are" she whispered nervously after a moment of hesitation.

"What _me_?" he gasped and then actually laughed, mockingly. "Who do you think you are talking to? I am the Nightmare King! I am _not_..."

But then he remembered that moment in Punjam Hy Loo, that one moment when he had been so certain that he would die in an instant and he fell silent.

"You are right" Melissa said quietly. "You of all people should know... I mean, you are the expert after all." She managed a meek smile. "But I can tell that you are kind of... worked up."

Her fear was slowly ebbing away a bit, but he could still sense it and it was an exhilarating feeling. Pitch concentrated on it and a moment later he understood. Yes, he was nervous and irritable. He was not like himself. The child was afraid that any sound, any movement of her's or even her mere presence might push him over the edge. She was afraid he might do something to her that he even might regret later.

Melissa could not stand that stare anymore. Why was he looking at her like that? What was going on? His dark eyes seemed to pierce her very soul.

 _I should have kept my mouth shut! I must have said something nasty... something that offended him! What am I supposed to do now?_

"I'm sorry" she whispered again almost desperately.

The Nightmare King looked away from her. Earlier he had enjoyed the scare he had given her immensely, but this was different. It had not been intended.

"Don't be" he said as all the anger and frustration seemed to fall away from him. Now he just felt tired, worn out, and he looked it too.

"And don't be afraid. There's no need for that just now."

Of all the strange things, Melissa had witnessed so far, this was definitively the weirdest. Pitch telling her not to be afraid...

 _What is going on? Why is he so..._

She wasn't sure where her thoughts were going when Pitch interrupted them.

"Come and sit" he told her and all she could do was obey.

"What tools do you need?" he asked quite business-like now. He knew he needed to distract himself from all those messed up thoughts and worries. Maybe interacting with her, or helping her with whatever she was trying to do would do the trick and calm him down.

"I... well..." she stammered and then shrugged.

He sat down next to her and Melissa felt herself grow tense.

Pitch felt it too, but tried to ignore it. "Tell me what you have in mind. Maybe I can help."

Melissa had no idea what to make of this, but he did sound quite friendly all of a sudden.

She took a deep breath and then another.

"Alright" she whispered without looking at him. She placed the four pieces of wood on the table.

"Well" she started. "My original plan was to find some soft pieces of wood and make holes in them around the edges. I would have placed those small bolts you have everywhere in them and then tie it all together to make a square and voilà, we would have had a perfect loom to make those nets. But I couldn't find any other wood that this and it's too hard and too dry for carving holes."

Pitch watched her patiently. She was whispering quite fast but didn't really get to the point. She was still nervous and slightly frightened. He nodded to himself. She was probably having trouble to concentrate on what was important right now but he didn't interrupt as she continued.

"So next I thought I could put nails in the wood instead, but I couldn't find any of those either."

She took another deep breath.

"So, I thought instead of putting something into the wood, I could take something out and carve notches into it, you know... to make it look a bit like the battlements of a castle. It might work, but I am not sure I can do it. I would need something really sharp and you have plenty of blades over there..."

At this she finally dared to look up at him but he gave her a firm cold stare in return.

"I am not letting you handle a weapon!" he said strictly.

"Why?" she wondered. Was he actually worried she would hurt herself?

"Because I am not eager to find one sticking out of my back!" he told her and his voice was so cold it made her shiver.

But Melissa only stared at him. She couldn't believe this. Did he really think she would attack him? Did he actually believe this? She was a bit surprised just how much it hurt.

"You think... I'd...?" she stammered and this time it was Pitch, who moved away from her slightly. There was suddenly so much hurt and disappointment in her eyes. He could barely look at them without feeling guilty.

There was a rather long silence during which neither of them looked at the other. Then suddenly he could the girl grind her teeth.

"Listen Pitch!" Melissa whispered and squinted her eyes to hold back the tears she felt coming. "If I wanted you dead, I would have given it a shot in Punjam Hy Loo. I had every opportunity to do so. I had a dagger and I was sitting right behind Katherine all the time, while you enjoyed watching our friends fight those vile monkeys of yours!" she was positively angry now. "I could have stuck a dagger into your back any time, but I didn't! I admit that the thought crossed my mind, but I didn't want to!"

She drew in another shaky breath before she ranted on, ignoring his stare. "If I had wanted you dead, I would not have stopped that Elephant! And now you have the gall to make me look like some filthy assassin? Is that really what you think of me?"

With that she jumped to her feet in an attempt to make a dash for her cage. She was done for the night. She'd had enough. He could built this stupid thing by himself if he wanted it, but she was absolutely done helping him! For now.

The Nightmare King had listened to her silent tantrum first in surprise, then in horror and even awe. She had been hiding right behind him all this time and he hadn't even noticed? She had managed to sneak up on him like that? The girl was more crafty than he had thought. And she was right too. She and that other girl, the one sleeping somewhere above them... they had been the ones who had saved him.

He had not realized it then, but _she,_ Mother Nature, his own daughter, had told him so, and she was right too! Those two children had not wanted him to die. They had blocked the attack on him. He was only alive because of them!

Pitch didn't feel like himself as he stared into Melissa's deep blue eyes as she shouted at him silently. But as soon as she tried to get away, he gabbed her by the shoulders before she could even get off the bench. His own speed baffled even him, but only for a moment.

He turned her around and forced her to look at him.

"Are you done?" he asked calmly "Or is there anything else you want to get out of your system?"

The girl had no choice but to look at him half in anger, half in surprise. She had not expected such a quick reaction, and neither had she expected him to remain so calm. In fact, she had been quite sure he would slap her, or worse.

For a moment she looked so stunned as if he had really beaten her. Then however she turned her head and looked away from him. But he still did not let go of her, she could feel the warmth of his hand on her left shoulder, the other one seemed a lot colder and only then did the girl fully realize that he had grabbed both of her shoulders and that his strangely damaged, pale right hand was on her left one.

She had of course seen him use it, but she had also become aware of the fact, that he usually avoided doing so and hid it instead, as if it was something to be ashamed of. To him it probably was, like a reminder of all the times he had failed.

The Nightmare King knew nothing of her thoughts and mistook her silence for defiance.

He sighed inaudibly. "Alright, if you refuse to speak, then at least listen!" he ordered and gave her left shoulder one last squeeze before he quickly hid his right hand beneath his cape again.

"Giving you a weapon means giving you an opportunity, and I am not willing to do this... yet. I don't think you would actually attack me, I believe you are too smart to do something that reckless. But I am not taking any risks, whether you like it or not!"

Melissa still didn't look at him but felt a pout coming. But then she wondered. Had she really expected him to trust her? Why would he? He trusted no one, except perhaps his fearlings, but only because he actually believed they were his mindless and will-less slaves that obeyed his every command.

 _Poor fool. If he only knew..._

"But you won't need a knife" he continued and distracted her from her pondering. "Because I have plenty of nails. They are just not on the shelf."

At this she finally looked up. She had almost forgotten how this whole argument had started.

Before she could even understand what was going on, she was let go abruptly as Pitch got to his feet and strolled over to the next table where he retrieved a plain wooden box, two heavy looking bars of solid metal and a few sheets of sandpaper.

Then he made his way back to the apparently completely dumbfounded girl and placed everything on the table next to her.

Melissa just stared at the items and then at her captor for a few long seconds. She got the point. The argument was over and he wanted to hear nothing more about it. What he wanted, was for her to start working on that loom. But she didn't understand his behavior. She had been waiting for punishment, but it never came. She had not expected him to just let this go.

She didn't know what to make of this, but all she could do was play along really.

"What's the sandpaper for?" she simply asked.

"What do you think?" the King of Nightmares huffed. "Look at this stuff!" he picked up one of the wooden pieces. "Do you want to get splinters into your hands?"

Of course she didn't. He was right. It would be better to give those odd shreds of wood a good scrub before she would start hammering in the nails.

She sighed and sat down once again and went to work without another word.

She was not really surprised when Pitch sat down across the table from her and did the same. There was very little that could surprise her now. They worked in silence until all four pieces of wood were smooth enough.

Melissa had noticed that there were traces of paint or varnish on the wood and she wondered. But when she noticed Pitch looking at her, she dared to ask.

"Looks like this has once been some piece of furniture?"

"A chair" he confirmed.

"What happened?" she wondered without thinking.

"I can't handle defeat very well" he admitted flaty and noticed that the girl was actually looking at him. There was a trace of amusement on her face. Not a real smile but he could tell that she knew he had wrecked this chair in a tantrum of his own.

She said nothing but opened the box instead and took out a hand full of nails. They came in a variety of different sizes and she sorted out the ones she wanted to use. She was just about to reach out for one of those blocks of iron when she hesitated again.

Pitch looked over at her doubtful face.

"This will make a hell of a lot of noise" she sighed.

He nodded. "I suppose it will. What's the problem?"

"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked nervously. The last thing she wanted to do was to annoy him. He was jumpy enough as it was and his mood could change again in an instant. She had seen it happen several times already during the last hour.

"Why would I?" he asked however. Then he shrugged and placed his polished piece of wood on the table and picked up one of those make-shift hammers. "I am not overly fond of it, but we will be done with it soon enough, right?"

She nodded and reached for the other tool. Then she pulled a grimace. The thing was damn heavy and quite bulky. She could barely lift it in one hand. Not only because of it's weight but also because her hand was too small and she could barely wrap her fingers around it.

She tried her best but she just couldn't handle it. The simple metal hammer kept slipping out of her fingers and even when she managed to hit the nail, the piece of wood would slide away from underneath. She growled silently and could hear Pitch mutter a curse under his breath from across the table.

Melissa looked up and saw that he was having similar problems. His piece of wood was misbehaving as well, same as hers and on top, he seemed to be having real trouble holding that small nail in place with the fingers of his damaged hand.

The girl stared down at the wooden stick accusingly and gave it one last try. But her fingers were already sweaty and the moment she wanted to bring that metal bar down on the nail-head, it slipped from her grasp and she let out a silent yelp.

The hammer landed on the table with a loud thunk that caused the Nightmare King to look up. He saw her painful grimace and the way she shook her left hand before she stuck her thumb into her mouth.

"Have you hurt yourself?" he asked.

Melissa looked up in surprise. Not because he had asked, but because of the way he had asked it. He sounded... worried.

She shook her head. "I'll live" she whispered but sounded quite frustrated. Pitch could see her shoulders slump down as she hung her head. "I can't do this. That hammer is just too big and heavy for me... and that stupid wood..."

"... seems to have a mind of its own" Pitch finished for her, sounding almost angry. He was actually close to another fit of rage. How could it be, that he – who was so powerful – failed at something as simple as driving a small nail into a small piece of wood?

But then he just slammed his own hammer onto the table top, causing it to quiver with the impact and Melissa to nearly jump out of her skin.

But that was it. There was no yelling or cursing or angry pacing about. He simply gave the piece of wood that lay innocently on the table a devastating glare that would have made anyone tremble with fear. But then he just sighed. "I can't do it either."

The girl had watched him. Scared at first then worried and finally she nodded to herself and got to her feet. Pitch watched her as she moved around the table and sat down beside him.

"I have an idea" she said simply and reached for the piece of wood and the small nail that lay beside it. She placed the nail where it was supposed to go and held it there while her other hand was on the wood, holding it in place.

She looked up at the Nightmare King with a stern expression and nodded. She was not giving up yet and Pitch couldn't help but admire her resolve. He nodded in reply and knowing what she had in mind, he picked up the hammer.

"Alright" he said quietly. "Let's do this."

He leveled the tool over the tiny piece of steel and saw the girl squeeze her eyes shut. He could feel a bit of fear coming from her. Of course she was afraid. She was not in control now. She would have to trust him not to flatten her fingers and once he realized this, he was actually surprised she was willing to take the risk.

He also didn't miss that her hands were trembling ever so slightly. Pitch hesitated for a moment but then placed his pale, human looking hand on the one that held the wood in place.

Melissa's eyes flew open at the touch but before she could even move another muscle she could feel the vibration of the nail she was holding as the hammer came down on it.

The Nightmare King wasn't using much force. He simply drove the nail into the wood with a few short, quick jabs and Melissa could feel the steel pin dig into the wood. Finally she withdrew her fingers.

She looked up at him and saw a smug grin that nearly matched her own. Then she simply picked up the next nail and within less than ten minutes the tedious job was done to perfection. All that was left to do now, was to tie the ends of the sticks together with wire and Pitch had an ample supply of that.

But this was a mere trifle now and done quickly. When Melissa finally held the small, fairly stable weaving loom in her hands she had the biggest, most gleeful smile on her face that Pitch had ever seen. She held it high and laughed silently.

"All bow to the amazing power of teamwork!" she whispered happily.

The girl's mirth amused Pitch. He chuckled and played along giving her a mock bow.

Melissa snorted. "What are you doing?" she asked sternly. "You don't bow! You are the Nightmare King, right? And besides, you are half of the team!"

He stood up straight in an instant.

 _Will this child ever cease to amaze me? I really could get used to having her around..._

"So?" he asked. "You want to try it out?"

"How can you even ask?" she grinned and grabbed the spool of wire. She got to work again immediately and with visible excitement while Pitch put the nails and hammers back in their place. Then he sat down across the table from her and watched her weave. It looked fairly simple and she was doing it with amazing speed.

But with nothing else to do, Pitch's thoughts soon zoned out again as his mind started to wander. But he was calmer now and not so worried about the Guardians not showing up this past night. The girl was right, they would find Katherine. It just took them longer than he had expected.

Pitch could wait, he was patient. He could spend night after night waiting for them in his observatory. It was the girl, Katherine, who could not wait. If her friends would not find her soon, he would either have to ease down on her nightmares even more or wake her up altogether.

Two or three more nights like this and her body would start to take damage. He could give her nourishment and water of course, he had done so from the moment he had brought her in, but a body needed to move or the muscles would degenerate. She needed solid food or her teeth would become weak and maybe even fall out. At this point, he knew, she would not grow any new ones.

And being stuck inside that mass of bad dreams for too long could also do serious damage, not to her body but to her mind. And no matter how much he enjoyed her fear, this was not something he wanted. She had saved him after all. And even _he_ was not _that_ much of a monster!

Pitch's own thoughts disturbed him. A day ago, he had not even thought about this. Two days ago, he had been more than willing to get rid of those last shreds of humanity. He had _wanted_ to become a monster, a real one, a nightmare come to life.

Why did he suddenly feel different about that? He felt content with who and what he was. He was actually almost glad that the Guardians had stopped him... but why? Was it that girl?

He looked up at her but she was still working and weaving and he noticed that there were two finished nets already beside her. She seemed to be enjoying herself. But why did this make him smile? Why was everything so awfully confusing?

Across the table, Melissa shifted her shoulders and tried to suppress a yawn.

 _Right, it's getting late._

He had not even noticed it before but now he realized that he was really tired, almost exhausted from everything that had happened or had not happened this night. He should get the girl back into the cage and get some sleep.

Sleep... he thought and suddenly he remembered that nightmare. Would it come back? Definitely! Now that he remembered it and knew that he had had it a hundred... no a thousand times before he knew it would come back as soon as he closed his eyes. He shuddered at the mere memory of it and then frowned.

Here he was, the King of Nightmares, afraid to go to sleep... afraid of dreaming this horrible dream all over again. He tried to push it out of his mind, but he could not forget. He could not forget that one moment when this little girl from the picture inside his locket, _his_ little girl, had come running up to him, when he had been down and helpless on the brink of oblivion, and had run straight through him as if he didn't even exist.

Melissa had worked with her new tool like a person possessed. She had been completely oblivious to anything around her. There could have been fearlings swarming her, she would not have noticed. But now, as she the took third finished net from the loom, she yawned again and noticed how sleepy she was. She looked up at the Nightmare King, who was still sitting across the table from her with a smile.

It faded away in an instant. Something was wrong. She didn't know what it was but he had that look on his face again. The same one she had seen on him the day before, when she had tested her first light bomb on the fearlings that had been torturing him. He looked just like that now... tortured. But he was clearly awake, just somehow lost in thoughts, or perhaps memories.

"Pitch?" she asked carefully but he didn't even look up. Had he not heard her?

"Pitch!" she whispered again with more force but the result was the same.

 _Maybe he has fallen asleep with his eyes open and is having a bad dream again..._

She looked around in sudden fear, but the shadows on the walls remained lifeless. There was not a fearling in sight... yet. But orders or not, she knew they would come soon enough.

Melissa got up and walked around the table until she stood beside him.

"Hey Pitch" she said again and reached out to him carefully. The moment her hand touched his shoulder his head jerked up and around.

For a moment he simply stared at her worried face in alarm.

"What's wrong?" she asked almost gently.

The startled Nightmare King exhaled deeply and then shook his head. "Nothing..."

"Are you alright?" she asked again and Pitch suddenly wondered why she sounded so concerned. How long had she been watching him? For how long had he spaced out?

He tried his best to keep up a straight face. "I'm fine... guess it is getting late, don't you think?"

Melissa nodded but muttered "Liar" under her breath. He was a lot of things really, but "fine" was not one of them. She had seen his face. Something was wrong and it was a far from "fine" as it could get! But he obviously would not tell her about it.

"Time for bed!" he decided suddenly and rose to his feet. Melissa didn't object when he grabbed her by her collar yet again and dragged her toward the cage.

At first! But after a few steps she decided to make a statement.

"I can see just fine down here. And I can walk by myself! I'm not a toddler!" she whispered and even though she had no voice, Pitch could hear her annoyance.

Strangely though, it didn't make him angry. He even found it slightly amusing but he nodded and let go of her.

"You'll go back to your observatory tomorrow, won't you?" she asked as they approached her cage.

Pitch simply nodded.

"Can I come with you again?" she asked bashfully. She really wanted to see that place again.

"You will have to. Four eyes see more than two."

"Awesome!" she whispered happily. "Now I have something to look forward to. Thanks Pitch."

She climbed into her cage and promptly made herself comfortable on the pile of furs, gingerly tucking the edges over the rope that had been peeking out a bit, ignoring the Nightmare King's confused stare.

Finally Pitch shrugged and locked her cage. He turned around and walked back the direction they had come when he heard her whisper.

"Good Night, Pitch."

The expression made him smile. He knew the sun was shining outside, the night was long over but somehow he appreciated her words. Perhaps they would keep the nightmares away.

"Good Night, Melissa" he replied quietly, returning the favor.

 _She's probably half asleep already anyway..._

But the girl was wide awake. She felt tired but she knew that her real work was not done yet. She could not go to sleep now. This time, she would be awake when it happened, she would be able to interfere sooner.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: After this chapter I am off the leash, meaning that I am no longer following the original story-line. Book 5 was not released yet when I wrote this - in fact I did write this because I was getting a little impatient ;-)**

 **Hope you enjoy and just as a reminder: Any kind of review will be highly appreciated!**

* * *

Melissa watched him walk away and disappear into his private chamber. As soon as he was out of sight, she took out the last light bomb and her dagger from beneath the furs. When she had also tied the rope to the bars as she had done the previous day, she crossed her legs and waited and wondered about the past night. It had been so weird and yet... the more she got to know this Nightmare King, the more she understood her dear friend Katherine.

She was the only one who had seemed to believe that there was more to their fearsome enemy than just plain evil. He had been a great man, a hero and a father once. There was still a spark of humanity left in him, he had admitted so himself in Punjam Hy Loo, where he had tried and failed to get rid of it. Melissa would do whatever it took to protect it.

 _And how am I supposed to do that? I am only a child..._

She sighed but then a determent smile found its way onto her face.

 _It's true, I am only a child. But one that is armed and ready!_

She patted her dagger gently and felt for the light-bomb inside her pocket for reassurance. At the same moment she heard a hiss from behind her. She knew instantly what it was and even though she could feel shivers running up and down her spine, she merely looked around over her shoulder. She would not show the creature how scared she was.

But then she was a bit surprised when she saw only one single fearling hovering outside her cage and it was barely bigger than her fist. She looked at it sharply as it kept hissing at her.

"You know" she whispered with a smirk. "If I didn't know what a horrible pest you are, I'd say you are almost adorable."

The creature let out an angry shriek at this impudence and kept bouncing against her cage as if it really thought it had enough power to simply break through the bars.

The girl laughed silently at the tiny fearlings stupidity, enraging it even more. But then she simply turned her back on the creature and ignored it as she heard, or rather sensed more movement below.

The angry hissing and scratching behind her stopped and she saw the tiny thing fly away to join with his comrades. Melissa tensed. They were back and there were more than she could count.

She got to her feet to get a better look. The horde of malevolent shadows swarmed around the cavern as if searching but they ignored the young prisoner. And then they suddenly turned at once, like a flock of birds and rushed for the door that would lead them right to their master. A moment later, she could hear Pitch shout out in surprise and then in terror. He had also not been asleep yet.

Instantly the girl turned around and picked up the rope and then ran for the door. She pulled out her skeleton key and unlocked it.

She hesitated for a moment when she noticed some late arrivals down below but those fearlings also quickly disappeared from sight. From the other room, she could hear the Nightmare King's muffled screams - a horrible sound that gave her goosebumps.

Once the coast was clear Melissa kicked the door of her cage open and threw the rope down. She gave it a few tugs, just to be sure it was safe to climb down but then she wrapped her fingers and legs around it and slid swiftly down to the ground. This time, she didn't hesitate but started running as soon as her feet touched solid rock.

She reached that door within seconds and slowed down. She tiptoed closer with her back pressed against the wall next to it. She could still hear sounds of struggling and distress. Her captor was still conscious but that also meant that she would have to wait a little longer. Melissa hated it, but she could not risk getting caught outside of the cage.

But only moments later it grew silent. So she took a steadying breath and dared to peek around the corner and into the room.

* * *

Pitch had entered his private chamber mere minutes ago, trying to master his own fears of going to sleep. Now that the girl was locked away, there was nothing to distract him from his anxiety. But perhaps a bit of reading would take his mind off this awful nightmare. He had salvaged a few of those fake spellbooks the old wizard had brought to him as ransom for the lives of those children.

He knew that none of the spells worked, but the books contents gave him at least a good idea, what kinds of magic the old man had at his disposal. And since he actually did have some basic knowledge of the art, he had already managed to find the errors in four or five of the simpler incantations.

For more than eight months he had hidden himself from the world, but this didn't mean that he had been idle. In fact he had been very busy after he had overcome the shock that had come with that lovely portrait inside a silver locket.

Ombric was for sure the most powerful wizard in the world, but he was not the only one. Pitch had searched and found several others. He had visited them during the night and had nicked a few of their books. They were simple by comparison, but they taught him the basics and now he was ready for more complex spells.

He had learned how to put up protective wards and spells of concealment, like the one he had erected around his observatory. Or in fact the one, he had set up around that Katherine girl.

Reading those dysfunctional spells, looking for the errors was a welcome pastime now, kind of like doing a crossword puzzle or solving a riddle. It kept his mind busy and that was just what he needed now.

So he took one of the books from the trunk he kept in his bedroom and then sat down in his comfortable armchair. He had not even read through half of the spell he had last looked at when he could feel the gathering darkness out in the main cavern and his Workshop. They were back but that was alright as long as they left his prisoner alone. The girl was probably asleep by now and would not even notice their presence.

A moment later he looked up in surprise as the darkness started to crowd into his private space.

"Hey!" he shouted angrily. "What do you think you are doing? You have no permission to enter..."

But they were all over him before he could even finish scolding them. They fell on him like a pack of ravenous wolves and he yelled at them in surprise and sudden terror. What was going on? Why wouldn't they obey? Why where they attacking him?

"Stay away! Get out of here! Curse you! Aaaahh..."

He had jumped from his chair, the book fell to the ground as he tried to defend himself but he realized instantly that he had not even the slightest chance. His own fearlings were turning on him, and they were powerful. Pitch could feel how they sucked away his strength, and he was on his knees before he even realized it.

They pressed down on him, keeping him low. Their hissing and whispering was deafening but he tried to get back to his feet even as waves of weakness rushed over him. He tried to push himself up, not willing to give up. He was their master... how did they dare?

But when his arms finally gave in and he was flat on the ground with those monsters swarming around him, feeding on him he had one last moment of clarity.

 _Melissa was right... she didn't lie... and I laughed at her..._

And then he passed out and found himself in a familiar place. That Nightmare...

That was the moment Melissa chose to look into the room. She caught only one glimpse of Pitch. He was still struggling slightly but within moments he stopped moving.

 _Perfect timing._

She knew that the Nightmare King was out cold and would never know that she had left her cage. Now it was time to slay some fearlings. She knew she could trust her light-bombs now and took it from her pocket. This time, she was not afraid, only determined. She took the time to pull her sleeve over her hand to prevent getting burnt again and then felt for the tiny button on the small orb carefully.

Then she entered the room. Not slowly and stealthily but at a run and if she could have, she would have roared a battle cry.

"Stay away from him!" she hissed angrily and pressed down on the button as soon as she was within range.

The fearlings never knew what hit them. The bright, garish light made them shriek and squeal like banshees and a second later they were no more.

"In your faces!" the girl snarled silently and then took a deep breath.

When she looked down upon her captor, she sighed desperately.

 _Looks like he is having nightmares again... oh dear Man in the Moon, what am I supposed to do? Does he really deserve this?_

She looked up at the black rock that made the ceiling of the small cavern and then shook her head. This wonderful, kind man could not help her here, no one could. She was alone.

Then she looked down at Pitch, who had somehow managed to curl up into a rather small, trembling mass of black robes, but she could see the anguish on his face.

Melissa still had no idea what his worst nightmare was about, but it had to be bad. Even though she had taken out the fearlings at the earliest moment possible, he was having it again. She tiptoed up to his side and knelt down. For perhaps a minute she only watched him, hoping he would calm down on his own but then she could not take it any longer.

The girl reached out to him and grasped his shoulder gently. He tensed even more under her touch and Melissa could hear him whimper quietly. But she didn't let go. She bent down to him and did pretty much exactly what she had done the last time. It had worked well enough. But she really hoped it would work faster now. She didn't have time for this. She had just used up her last stardust-bomb and she needed to get to the workshop and make more.

"Please" she whispered. "Calm down. It's over... They are gone... you're safe now. Please calm down!"

She was stroking his shoulder again, as gently as she could and to Melissa's astonishment and relief, he actually did calm down much faster this time. Within minutes he was sleeping quietly with a rather peaceful expression on his face.

Melissa got up with a sigh of heartfelt relief. She felt a bit bad about leaving him there on the floor, but there was no helping it. She could not possibly lift him onto his bed, and if she would place as much as a blanket over him, he would notice it when he woke up. She simply could not take that risk.

"Sorry Pitch" she muttered as she sneaked out of the room and then ran out into the workshop again.

When she climbed up the rope, which came much easier to her now, she had three brand new light-bombs inside her pocket and she had even replaced the nets she had used up with new ones. All this had been done in less than an hour and there was not a single fearling in sight. The rope and her weapons were quickly hidden and Melissa felt quite proud of herself as she finally lay down on her furs and wrapped the blanket around her. For a a few minutes she kept listening to the perfect silence of the caverns before she fell asleep.

* * *

When the Nightmare King awoke just before dusk, he felt refreshed and almost bursting with energy and anticipation. He thought that he had never once slept so soundly, so peacefully in his entire existence but then he noticed...

 _Why am I on the floor?_

He sat up with a start and looked around and then down on himself.

 _And why the hell am I fully dressed? What on earth happened to me?_

He pushed himself up, using the nearby armchair for support. He remembered clearly that he had sat down there for some reading. The book was actually right there on the floor too.

He reached down and picked it up. Why had he started reading anyway? Right! He had tried to make himself forget about that nightmare...

 _The Nightmare! Did I have it again? Yes, I did... I distinctly remember feeling it … but …_

Pitch concentrated hard trying to remember. He knew he had had some of it, but just like the night before, it had not come to the worst. This time it had actually stopped before it had even really started.

It was as if someone had come in and switched on the lights and chased all the Terrors away. He had finally been able to sleep and rest. But who could have done this? He was alone down here after all, except for his fearlings and now that girl. But she was locked up securely and high above the ground too. She could not be the one, and beside why would she? She was a prisoner here after all. The mere idea was ridiculous. While he was shaking his head at his own silly thoughts he had a sudden epiphany.

 _Perhaps I did it myself. Perhaps simply remembering it gave me the power to fight it off?_

That had to be it. It seemed logical enough.

He shook off those thoughts and the memory of the nightmare he had not even really had and nodded to himself. He could not distract himself with that negligibility now. This was an important night, he knew it, he could feel it in his very bones. This was the night that would enable him to put his wonderful, awful plan into action.

But it was still early, the sun was only just setting and there were still a few preparations to be made.

It was just at that moment, that he heard the noises and he knew what they were before he even made his way out of the room. He growled deeply in his throat and picked up a pace as he marched angrily past the benches of his workshop to the place where the girl's cage hung. And as he had suspected, it was surrounded by fearlings.

He could feel his fists clench at his sides as he looked up. They were hissing and scratching at the bars, they could not get in of course, he had made sure of that, but he could feel the girl's fear.

To his complete surprise however, he could see her, standing right behind the bars with an expression of fury on her small face. He could barely hear, let alone understand her, but she was hissing and spitting back at his disobedient minions like a cornered cat.

"Have I not made myself clear?" Pitch yelled up at them. "She is _not_ for you! Get away from her this instant!"

And instantly the shadowy creatures moved away from the cage and looked down on him.

Pitch suddenly felt a strange unease crawling up his spine like goosebumps. He actually took a step back and then he remembered...

 _They attacked me! They really did attack me last night, didn't they? Or was it just a part of that dream? I don't know… they should not be able to, but..._

For a moment, he was almost sure, that they would swoop down on him any second, but then they just scattered and disappeared into the shadows.

He heaved a deep sigh of relief and then hurried over to the controls and let the girl's cage descend.

Once he had brought her to eye level, he stepped close to the bars and studied her. She was breathing hard but seemed unharmed and in fact more angry than scared.

"You alright?" he asked simply and saw her nod.

"For how long have they..?" he started but she interrupted him.

"Just a few minutes" she admitted and scowled at him. "I'd really prefer a less scary way to wake up!"

"I bet you would" he snickered and Melissa's frown deepened but she decided to say nothing more about it. Instead she pouted and sat down, cross-legged on her furs.

"Well" the Nightmare King said and graced her with a rare smile. "Stay awake. I'll just have to run a quick errand or two and we will go back to the observatory. I am sure, tonight is the night of destiny!"

"Sure" she whispered, still pouting, but the thought of the many wonderful telescopes up there lifted her spirits. And it seemed that she didn't even have to beg this time. He _wanted_ her along! She took that as a good sign.

Melissa watched him walk away and disappear into the shadows, only to emerge from nearly the same spot minutes later with a steaming bowl in one hand and a basket in the other.

He came up to her cage, which he had left on the ground and unlocked the door. Then he stepped in and placed another bowl of porridge in front of her.

"Looks like tonight you get to enjoy it while it's still hot" he teased.

The girl looked at it and couldn't hide a smile. This time the porridge did not only have a sugary coating but also stewed cherries on top. Cherries!

"Wow, thank you!" she gasped and picked up the spoon that came with it. "I told you it's my favorite!"

"Yes, I remember that" he admitted and then placed the basket on the floor beside the bars. Melissa looked at it curiously and realized it held a variety of food. There was some cheese, dried meat, fruit like apples and pears and half a loaf of bread, enough to keep her fed for a week.

"What's all of this for?" she wondered.

"If that golden boy shows up tonight to rescue your friend, you'll have to stay alone for a while" he explained.

Melissa stared up at him in horror. "I am not staying alone with those monsters!" she breathed fearfully.

"It won't be long" the Nightmare King sighed. "And you know they can't harm you as long as you are in here. There's no need to freak out, right?"

She didn't fully agree with him, but she had ways to drive them away, to kill them even. She would survive this. But she started wondering about his plan. Pitch took her silence as an agreement and left her cage again.

"Where are you going?" she asked before he could get out of hearing range.

He looked back over his shoulder. "To check on your friend and serve her breakfast too" he said with a wink and then hurried off.

Melissa smiled and picked up her bowl of porridge. It smelled wonderful and tasted even better.

 _He's going to see Katherine, that means she is alive and well... hopefully. He wouldn't really harm her, would he? Gosh, this is delicious... Pitch really isn't that bad..._

She finished off the bowl in a matter of minutes and wondered what to do. She scratched her head. Her scalp was itching as were many parts of her body. He hair was a mess and she opened her thick braid. It felt heavy with grease and grime. And she knew that she probably reekedlike an old sock.

When Pitch returned a short time later and opened her cage again, she stepped out of it and looked up at him with a pleading expression.

"Pitch, I know this is an important night, but … can I ask you a favor?"

"What would that be?" he asked partly surprised and partly nervous.

"I am filthy" she stated with a telling gesture. "I can't stand my own stench anymore. I feel like a dump! But I noticed there is a lake with a waterfall out there. Would you allow me to wash up? Besides, I really need to take a leak. I'm sorry. But I promise, I'll make it quick."

The Nightmare King sighed and ran his long fingers through his wild hair. This would take up valuable time, but the girl had a point. She did not only feel like a dump, she looked and smelled like one too. And if he was going to leave her alone for a few days...

"Alright. Let's go. But _do_ make it quick!"

Once again Melissa could barely believe it had been so easy. She had been sure he would object, but he hadn't. He had not even tried to argue.

 _Wow... I really must stink..._

He hurried on ahead of her and Melissa jogged along after him until they entered the tunnel that would lead them outside. She could feel him reach out for her collar but she dodged and held out her hand instead.

Pitch seemed surprised for a moment but then he just hurried on. It didn't really matter which part he had of her, as long as she would come along quietly and quickly.

Melissa ran along beside him, her fingers firmly around his left hand. She grinned smugly at her success but the fact that he didn't make a fuss about it baffled her to no ends.

It was not long until she could smell the fresh, cool air of a young night. She recognized the scents of the place. The grass, the damp earth, the trees.

The trees!

This time, Pitch didn't wait at the maw of the cave but dragged her out into the open.

"The lake is over there. Now hurry up and do your stuff!" He sounded impatient but not unfriendly.

"Right away" she said and let go of his hand. Then she dashed off to the right, where the great trees stood.

"Hey!" Pitch yelled. "Where do you think you are going?" He was about to pursue her when he heard her whisper.

"Gotta pee first!"

He rolled his eyes and sighed. Right, she was only human after all. He kept a sharp eye on the bushes she had disappeared behind.

Melissa relieved herself quickly and then strolled a bit deeper into the copse with her eyes trained at the treetops. She found quickly what she had been looking for. It was right there. A huge dark shape stuck into one of the ancient oaks. And it really looked like a ship, a small one though. A longboat perhaps.

How curious, she thought. How did a boat end up here in a tree amongst these mountains? Maybe it was not a boat at all, she thought suddenly. She remembered the stories she had heard about the Golden Age. Pitch had sailed some sort of galleon back then. And then, during that last great battle, he had crashed here and Nightlight had defeated him.

 _Perhaps this strange boat up there..._

"Melissa? What is taking you so long?" Pitch's voice rang through the copse and the girl whirled around.

 _He said my name again!_

The fact startled her but then she simply smiled and ran back to the clearing, she had promised to make this quick after all. When she caught sight of him, she was once again surprised at the look of worry on his face.

"So sorry" she apologized. "I got so mesmerized by the size of those trees... and then I lost sense of direction somehow. Thanks for calling!"

The Nightmare King stared down at this strange little creature and then shook his head in slight disbelief. She had not tried to run away... she had come straight back to him and she seemed almost happy to see him. What was this all about? What was she trying to do?

"Go on and clean up. And do it quickly" he said flatly.

"Yes Sir" she breathed with a smile and saluted to him again. The gesture made him feel uneasy but it was still kind of cute. He watched her run off towards the lake. She didn't seem to mind much as he watched her undress.

He kept to the shadows of the trees and looked on as she gingerly stepped into the icy water.

"Whooaaah... it's freezing!" she gasped and shivered. But she had promised to get this over with quickly and she wanted to get back to the observatory and gaze through those binoculars again. She knew they were not the most awesome item up there, but the sky was perfectly clear tonight and she might actually get to see some stars and planets. Perhaps, if she behaved and didn't anger him, Pitch might actually allow her to look through one of the big ones.

It was probably just wishful thinking, but she didn't mind. It was a beautiful dream and it distracted her from the cold water as she splashed it into her face and over her back and finally dipped her head and her hair into it, rubbing and scratching at her scalp.

The lake was deep and she had to swim, which wasn't really a problem. She had learned that ages ago. There was a small waterfall at the far end of it and she headed there and placed herself underneath. The water fell down on her heavily and washed all the grease and filth from her body. Melissa gritted her teeth and endured the pain of the force of the rushing waters and the cold until her skin was pink and clean and she could hear Pitch call her name again.

She had to admit that she really liked hearing it from him, and she quickly swam back to the shore where she shook the ice water off like a wet dog and put on her clothes again. Now she truly wished she had that rucksack with spare ones that North had given her but it wasn't here and she had to get into the blue dress again.

A minute later she was ready and hurried back to her captor -well, perhaps he was more than that now. Melissa was not sure but somehow she was beginning to actually like this Nightmare King.

While Pitch had been waiting for her to get cleaned up he had the most curious thoughts himself. Thoughts that he didn't really understand. Most of, he was feeling so different, he had so much energy, as if he had just been born and tonight was at the beginning of a new life! His strange and now less fearsome nightmare was still occupying his mind and then there was this girl.

She was different too somehow. She was more confident, same as him. She didn't seem to mind his company in the least. Of course, he was taking care of her because he had plans for her. The more he learned about her the more he came to the conclusion that she would be the perfect darkling daughter, she was the company he had craved for so long. But he still did not know what she was to the Guardians.

This night, however would show. Would they go searching for her too, or would they simply snatch Katherine and fly off? They would not find Melissa of course, he would make sure of that.

He looked up at the darkening sky above him and felt a strange peace within him. The night would be perfect. He needed to get to his observatory.

"Melissa!" he shouted "Get a move on it, will you?"

And within less than three minutes she was back beside him, smiling and beaming with anticipation. It was incredible. She was as eager to get back up there as he was.

"Very well" he said. "Let's go."

He noticed that her dress still smelled of sweat and dirt and somehow he wished he could provide her with something new but there was no time. When all of this was over and he would turn her, he would provide her with appropriate garments. He pictured a robe like his own with a tall collar. It would suit her well. But then, as they walked down the dark tunnel, hand in hand, he reconsidered. A sleek dress of dark blue, like her eyes would be much better. She would love it too, he was sure of it.

But would she be able to appreciate it once he turned her darkling?

She followed him back into the dark cave quite willingly. Now, after her short bath, she felt a lot more like a human being again. Her dress however was still quite messy, but there was no helping it. What bothered her far more was her dripping wet hair that was soaking her shoulders and back. It was awfully cold in the tunnels and now Melissa really wished she had kept this horrid fur cloak.

They had not yet reached the main cavern, when Pitch became aware of her shivering.

 _Wonderful. The last thing I need is a sick child..._

Melissa was gritting her teeth to stop them from clattering and tried to walk as quickly as possible to get warm.

Then she stumbled and almost fell when she was suddenly yanked to the right.

She gasped, wondering what she could have possibly done wrong. But Pitch merely moved her to his right side as he stepped around her.

The startled girl grew as stiff as a poker, when she felt his warm right hand on her shoulder and was pulled surprisingly close to him. So close that he could easily wrap a part of his billowing cloak around her. So close that her shoulder brushed against his side.

Melissa felt terribly uncomfortable, thoroughly confused and a little frightened, she could barely think.

 _What... is... he ... doing?..._

It was quite obvious though and by the time they reached the wide cavern she felt a little better and a lot warmer. She understood what he was doing now, but not why. Not really. He probably tried to avoid her catching cold, but why would he even care? She had crossed her arms tightly over her chest, to avoid her left shoulder from bumping into him again. She was still shivering, but it had nothing to do with the temperature now.

Pitch noticed this with a smirk. Her fear always amused him but this time, he could actually understand it. He knew she felt uncomfortable with this, but she wasn't the only one. This was really awkward and in conflict with everything he believed he stood for, but what was he supposed to do?

 _This could so ruin my whole reputation..._

He walked her back to his workshop and towards the weapon racks in the very back. He had to do something about this and he had already come up with an idea that would not take up too much of his precious time.

Pitch looked around for a suitable blade and frowned.

 _I could swear there used to be another dagger... ah well..._

He picked up the first short blade he found and could feel the girl tense beside him. The cloud of fear that wafted around her made him look down at her in surprise. She started to struggle to get away from him.

 _Does she really think I would...?_

The Nightmare King shook his head in disbelief but then just grabbed her collar again and pulled her along towards his private chamber.

Melissa realized where they were heading and instantly started to panic. But all the struggling in the world could not have freed her from his grip.

"Will you stop that?" he asked finally in annoyance. "What are you afraid of anyway?"

She didn't answer but stopped fighting and just stared at the dagger in his hand.

He rolled his eyes at her and then looked away. "That's ridiculous!" he said flatly.

 _What is wrong with that child? Less than twelve hours ago she trusted me with a hammer and now she thinks I would actually hurt her? Ouch..._

He didn't understand why, but it really stung him.

"Now sit!" he ordered sternly and pointed at his armchair.

Finally released from his grip, Melissa moved a few steps away but did not sit down. She simply stared at him, as he began to peel off a layer of fabric from his strange bed.

He noticed and gave her a dead-pan but she had seen enough and was suddenly terribly ashamed of herself.

But she had been afraid. For one moment, she had been so sure that he had noticed the missing dagger and had reasoned correctly that she must have taken it. Of course she had expected punishment, but now it seemed she had been wrong.

 _I'm such an idiot! He's never done a thing to me! And tonight he's being downright… kind. How could I?_

"I'm sorry" she whispered through clattering teeth. She had started to freeze again and her bad conscience didn't help her feel any better.

"What for?" he asked and looked up from what he was doing.

"For... misbehaving like that... I was being stupid."

"You really thought I'd cut you, didn't you?" he asked without even looking at her.

"Yes... No... I don't know. I just panicked... I don't know why" she tried to explain and then finally slumped down into the armchair and stared at the dark floor. "I'm such a moron..."

Pitch looked up at her and actually smiled at her remorseful expression. He couldn't blame her for being scared of him. He was the Nightmare King after all. It was only natural.

He said nothing but dug his dagger into the thin fabric and started cutting. Melissa looked up at the noise with a start.

"What are you doing?" she whispered with a frown.

"What does it look like?"

"You are... destroying your... er... bed?" she stammered and pulled a grimace. "But why?"

A dry laugh escaped him and he shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I have tons of that stuff. Literally!"

She watched him for another minute as he kept cutting away at the strange black canvas. The sound of the blade cutting through it gave her goosebumps but the moment of fear was over.

The thought of the missing dagger still made her a bit nervous but Pitch obviously didn't suspect her. Then he suddenly looked up at her with a grin and held up whatever he had cut out.

"Here catch!"

He threw it but Melissa was not quite fast enough. She slid off the chair and stumbled forward but it landed at her feet anyway.

"Sorry" she whispered again and picked it up. "What is it?"

She could have sworn that the Nightmare King rolled his eyes at her again but then he simply came over to her and took the piece of cloth out of her hands.

He unfolded it and she could see that it was simply a square, no rather a diamond-shaped piece of cloth with a hole in the middle. She looked up at him blankly and shrugged.

"Come here" he said, shaking his head, trying hard not to laugh.

 _And here I thought she was a smart one..._

A moment later he threw the thing over the startled girl , forced the hole over her head and pulled her wet hair out from underneath.

"There, better?" he asked with a smirk, enjoying her expression of total confusion. "You might want to brush your hair though. If it dries like that, it will be impossible to untangle."

He stepped around her and started rummaging through a casket while Melissa stared down on herself.

It was a … she didn't know the word, but it was supposed to keep her warm. And it did too. The material was soft as silk but at the same time heavy like a coat. And even though he had simply cut it out, it didn't even fray at the edges. Melissa was getting very interested in this cloth.

"What … is this?" she breathed and ran her hand over the smooth material. It seemed to reflect her body-heat and was really comfortable. Her captor - no, she didn't like to think about him as this anymore - Pitch had managed to cut it to a size that fell down her chest and back almost to her knees but the sides were shorter and her hands were free.

"It's called a poncho" he said matter-of-factually and forced a crude hairbrush into her hand.

Melissa was even more astonished at this.

 _The Nightmare King owns a hairbrush? What the heck? But okay, why wouldn't he?_

"A poncho" she repeated quietly and then looked up at him. He seemed in a hurry and she knew why.

"Thank you" she whispered. "Thank you so much... for everything!" she looked down at the brush and shrugged. "I can do this later. I have taken up far too much of your time already. This golden man and Nightlight might show up any minute!"

Pitch stared at her for a moment in complete astonishment but then nodded. "Bring it along" he suggested and then nodded at the door.

Seconds later they rushed through the cavern and once they reached the dark tunnel, Pitch took her hand – not her collar, not her wrist but her hand - and pulled her along though the darkness without a word.

Melissa knew where they were going but Pitch's silence somehow disturbed her. She wanted to know what he was thinking, but did not dare to ask. But as she suddenly felt his grasp around her hand tighten she couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Pitch? I something wrong?"

He looked down at her, knowing she could not see him in the darkness. She was trusting him to lead her. He sighed.

"It's nothing. Come on, we are almost there."

And he was right too. Merely a minute later Melissa could feel that they were in a larger chamber after walking around a left bend.

"Wait here, I'll turn on the lights" Pitch ordered and this time, Melissa waited without fear. A few moments later the braziers lit up and she could see him again, standing amongst his toys, smiling at her.

"Same procedure as last night?" she asked a bit nervously and the Nightmare King nodded.

"You know the drill. But tonight, let's make it a competition!"

"A competition?" Melissa asked and looked up at him with a completely bewildered expression.

"Sure! It will be fun!" he actually laughed. "If I see them coming first, you will have to do something for me. If you see them first, I will do something for you! Deal?"

Melissa grinned and held out her hand not even thinking twice about what she might be getting herself into. "Deal!"

They shook hands on it and then they both rushed to their telescopes. Pitch climbed up onto that giant one and Melissa pulled up her seat to the strange binoculars and started looking.

Minutes passed in silence and Melissa found herself getting distracted by the beauty of the night sky. There was not a single cloud tonight and the stars seemed so much closer through the device. She wished she could use one of the other telescopes to get a better look.

She called herself to order and kept scanning the skies for the glimmer of that golden cloud she had seen the night before.

The moon was only a thin crescent but Melissa wondered if the Man in the Moon could see her. She wondered what he would think of her now. He had said that she had a role to play in what was to come, this new Golden Age. A grand role and all she had to do was to follow her heart. She remembered his words distinctly.

Somehow she wasn't sure if what she had decided to do was what the Man in the Moon was expecting of her. But as far as she knew, he also considered Pitch as a monster, an evil that had to be vanquished. But he wasn't!

"So Melissa" Pitch interrupted her thoughts and she smiled at the sound of her name. "What will your deal be in case you win?"

"Oh..." she breathed and smiled. "If I see them first, you'll have to introduce me to the rest of your telescopes and look at the stars with me. I want to know all about the constellations too."

"That's all?" Pitch wondered and actually took his eyes off the sky and turned around.

 _I wanted to do that anyway... I thought she'd ask for something grander... like letting her return to her friends..._

"What did you think" Melissa whispered without neglecting her task for a second. "What will your deal be?"

Pitch had been expecting the question and knew the answer, but he hesitated for a few moments.

"Well?" Melissa prompted him. "What is it?"

"If I win" he started and looked over to her, not wanting to miss her reaction. "You will have to tell me every detail about your conversation with Mother Nature."

The girl's back straightened and for a moment she sat stock-still. Pitch could tell that she was quite shocked. Only now did she realize that she had probably been duped. But she still had a fifty percent chance of getting out of this. She turned around and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Fair enough" she whipered but then practically glued her eyes back to the device before her.

 _I have to win this! I'll win this for sure!_

As the hours dragged on, a few clouds moved in, but not enough to darken the sky. Melissa could see a cluster coming closer but it was just a small one and with the speed it was moving it would pass by quickly.

The thought made her look down at the trees below in the copse. The leaves were not moving at all. There was no wind.

She looked up again. The clouds were moving quickly as if a storm was coming. And yet, the leaves down there were not even disturbed.

 _How odd... well... the weather is unpredictable... even Bunnymund says so._

The thought of the Pooka reminded her of the possibility that the Guardians might not come from the air after all. They could also pop up from underground. And she gave all the ground her binoculars could cover a good scan. There was another valley, far deeper below and to the left, the north.

As she looked through her binoculars, she noticed bats flying around between the trees and she smiled. She swung her device around to follow them. They were big, she realized. Bigger than any she had seen before and then she noticed the cave. The bats were flying in and out. This must be their resting place!

 _How cool! I'd really love to go down there and see them close up... wait... what is that?_

Her vision got blurry all of a sudden as if she was looking though some dense fog or … - she readjusted her binoculars - … "Cloulds?"

Her hands were on the controls, working feverishly to get a clear picture. But it didn't help much. There was a thick gray cloud hovering just outside of that cave. It was dense and dark, but a tint of gold was shining thought it.

"Holy cow!" Melissa hissed and jumped to her feet when it hit her. She whirled around taking her eyes off the sight.

"Pitch!" she gasped "We have company!"

The Nightmare King turned away from his telescope and gave her a look of pure incredulity.

"What?"

"Come and look at this!" Melissa gesticulated wildly and he was beside her in an instant, looking through her binoculars at the place she was showing him.

And what he saw made his very heart and soul freeze. The short golden guy emerged from that mysterious cloud and made his way into the cave, knocking out every bat in his path with something that looked like golden sand.

The cloud however flew off and vanished in the distance.

"Her" Pitch gasped. "She shrouded him! She promised not to interfere..." it hurt him more than all the words of woe she had thrown into his face, but he had no time to grieve now.

The Nightmare King was on his feet within a second and grabbed the girls wrist.

"He's here! No time to loose!" he yelped and dragged her to the control desk. Within an instant the place was pitch black and Melissa almost yelped herself when she suddenly found herself closer to Pitch than she had ever imagined. He actually pressed her to his chest but only for an instant and then she found herself back inside the workshop, right in front of her cage.

"What..." she gasped "... was that? How did you..."

"I'll explain when I get back" Pitch said and tried to push her into the cage but Melissa wanted answers.

"Where will you go? What are you going to do? You said you'd go to that new city..."

"And I will!" he answered with a wide grin. "And then I will travel to the moon with them."

"To the moon?" Melissa was shocked. "How?"

"Oh... they have a way and I know they will go there as soon as they have their precious Katherine back. I will simply hitch a ride."

"To the moon? But Pitch... " she froze on the spot and her eyes grew wide with terror. "You are going after the Man in the Moon himself?"

Pitch laughed at her. "Are you nuts? I know my limitations! All I want is to steal their vessel and leave them stranded there. This will give me plenty of time to bring about a new dark age here without them interfering."

Melissa stared at him and refused to step back into the cage. "That's madness!" she hissed. "Pitch, don't do this! Please!"

"I understand that you are afraid for your friends" he said almost gently and put a hand on her shoulder. "But don't worry. There won't even be a fight!"

"It's still a suicide mission!" the girl insisted, holding up both hands and placed them on his chest, trying to push him back. "They will know you are there the moment you set foot into that vessel!"

The Nightmare King was genuinely surprised at her sudden fervor and fear... he could sense it again and it was sweeter than anything he had ever tasted.

"But I will not _set foot_ in the vessel" he told the upset child with a most gleeful smile. "They will take me aboard without even knowing. My plan is fool-proof and now... get in there. I have to hurry!"

He shoved her, causing Melissa to stumble and she landed hard on her buttocks inside the cage. But she was back on her feet instantly.

"You are going to get yourself killed!" she whispered, grabbing onto the bars of her prison as Pitch locked it.

"You are underestimating me, child."

"No! You are underestimating _them!_ "

But Pitch turned his back on her and walked away.

"I'll be back with a victory before you know it" he promised as he disappeared into the shadows.

"You _won't_ come back" the girl sobbed and slid down onto her knees.

She cried for a few minutes, forcing all of her despair and fears out of herself along with her tears. Then she gritted her teeth, sat up straight and started to think. She had to do something. Pitch would loose, he always did! And if he really made it all the way to the moon... even he knew that he was no match for the Man in the Moon. He would never make it out of this alive.

She even liked his plan. It didn't include any violence at all. It _was_ a good plan, but it would not work. She knew it... in her heart... he was going to get himself killed.

 _Follow your heart!_

She forced herself up onto her feet and clenched her fists.

 _Think Melissa, think!_

And then she had an idea. A divine, insane and most likely suicidal idea. But it was the only one she had. And so she let herself out of her cage with her skeleton key. Pitch had not even taken the time to raise it and she could simply step out of it.

But before she left, she picked up her light-bombs and the stardust-infused dagger and then she ran.


	11. Chapter 11

Since it was night, all the fearlings were gone from the cavern and not a single one stopped her as she hurried through the darkness of the now more or less familiar tunnel.

She could not see a thing and she had no guide now. So she moved along carefully with her hands stretched out before her and despite her handicap she made it to the surface in good time.

This time, Melissa ignored the sparkling night sky and ran off in search of that one tree. She found it quickly enough and started to climb. It was a lot easier than climbing up that stupid rope and soon she had reached her destination.

The boat was stuck quite firmly within the tree's branches but Melissa was sure she could pry it loose somehow, she only needed to use her imagination. She knew now that this was not a craft made to float on water, but on air.

She climbed into it and touched the surfaces in wonder. It was coarse and grainy in some parts, smooth and shiny in others but still solid and hard but it looked a bit damaged.

Melissa walked about the deck examining everything and nodded. None of the damages would disable it. The main problem were the sails. They hung down in shreds of tattered black sheets with more holes than she could count. She climbed one of the odd, short masts to touch the remains and frowned. She recognized the material, no matter how worn it was. In fact she was wearing it!

She clung to the mast and wondered... _he said he had tons of the stuff, but where? Never mind, I'll just use his bed!_

Melissa looked up at the sky from her perch on the mast and her eyes caught a glimpse of gold, much brighter than a star and another light that she recognized instantly.

"Nightlight!" she gasped but the lights just passed across the sky without stopping. She could see the small golden man and the spectral boy clearly, they were really just a short distance away. She could even catch a glimpse of Katherine on a piece of black rock. But where was Pitch?

"Nightlight!" she tried to shout again but they could not hear her whisper. She knew Pitch was somehow with them but she could not see him. He was flying off to his doom, that much she knew. And what she knew even better was that she had to do something about it.

She dropped down from the tree and rushed back into the cave and all the way down to the workshop where she gathered anything she thought useful to get this flying boat back into the skies.

And then she worked for hours. Fixing, hammering, cutting, tying knots and adjusting all kinds of things she didn't know the name of but somehow understood their purpose.

The sun was already rising, when she she considered the vessel ready to take to the air. She had fixed it up as much as she could. She had replaced the tattered sails with most of Pitch's bed and all three sails were already buffeting in the air. They were strange though. Not like the sails of any regular ship on the oceans, they were more like giant parachutes. Melissa had wondered about this for a while, but then realized that this was what they were supposed to be like.

She was ready to fly... or to learn how to fly. But the boat was still stuck. A branch had grown over it, blocking it from taking to the air. Melissa was not strong enough to drag the boat out of it, even though it was really not that big. It was barely as wide as her prison-cage and perhaps three times as long. But she would not be able to move it without removing the obstacle. She would have to hack off that branch.

So she hurried down the dark tunnel one more time. She knew every twist and turn by heart now. But when she got to the workshop now, it was swarming with fearlings. The vile creatures of darkness had not shown themselves all night, but now that the sun was up, they were back and crowding the place.

Melissa could only just pull the emergency brake to avoid crushing straight into them. It didn't matter though, she had already been spotted.

"Stay away!" she hissed and staggered backwards but of course the fearlings didn't obey her and started to swarm her, attacking her, feeding on her.

The girl could feel it, them sucking at her will, her strength as little as it was. They were all over her before she could do anything. She fell to her knees and waves of despair washed over her.

She wanted to cry out for help but knew that none would come. But even as weak as she felt, she somehow managed to dig her hand into her pocket and found one of the light bombs. She closed her eyes, more in agony from what she was feeling than in anticipation and her thumb pressed down on the button.

The place was instantly bathed in bright, white light and every single fearling turned to dust around her.

Terrified to the brink of madness, Melissa wept hysterically but silently as she cowered on the ground in a fetal position for quite a while before she finally managed to get a grip on herself. She still felt weak and shaky but she forced herself to sit up and wiped her face. This had been too close. She had to be more careful.

 _Gods, is this what Pitch goes through every time they get him? It's awful... it's like... dying._

Dying! Melissa struggled to her feet and took a deep breath. She was alive, but the Nightmare King would not be so much longer if she didn't stop him. She remembered that she had a plan.

In Pitch's now deserted armory, she found an axe and then she hurried over to her cage and grabbed the rope and the basket of food. She would probably need it on her way.

She brought everything back to the surface and up into the tree and put it into the small storage compartment of the strange boat.

Melissa rested for only a moment before she picked up the axe and looked at the branch above her with a frown. It was a big one. It would probably take her hours to get through it. She didn't have that time and then she realized something else.

Taking off that branch would cause it to fall, right on top of her, and more importantly onto the boat.

 _Am I out of my mind? I can't believe I almost did something that stupid!_

She grabbed the tool and climbed down to take a look at the branches the boat was resting upon. There were quite a few, but they were all thin and much weaker than the one above. She would be able to hack through them quickly enough. She probably wouldn't even have to do all of them. Once two or three were gone, the weight of the boat itself should cause the rest of them to break.

But there were precautions to take.

She drove the axe into one of the branches, causing it to get stuck. Then she climbed back on board and tied the rope she had brought up around her waist and the other end to the vessel's railing. This way, she would not fall while she was using both hands to work and she also would not risk all of her hard work to fly off without her.

She adjusted the sails a bit, hoping she was doing it right. She had no idea how to navigate this alien looking thing but she would have to learn it the hard way.

A minute later, she was back below the boat and hard at work with the supporting branches. They fell away one by one and then suddenly she could feel a force tugging at her waist. She looked up and saw the boat move. The wind had picked up and tore at the sails. Melissa could hear the masts creak, the sound sent a shiver down her spine.

 _Oh gods... don't break! Please don't break!_

But then the entire vessel was torn out of the tree with force and sped upwards. Melissa yelped voicelessly in fear and pain as she got ripped from her perch, bumped into several other branches and then tumbled through the open air.

The rope she had tied around her waist cut into her stomach while she tried desperately to get a hold of it.

When she finally managed to grab it and climb up a bit, she dared to look down. She wished she hadn't done this. The sight was dizzying. The valley below was getting smaller and smaller very quickly.

Melissa let out a small sob, holding on to her rope for dear life.

Then she looked up. It wasn't far, just a few tugs to the railing. She needed to get on board. She had to get this thing under control somehow. She tried not to think of what lay below her or ahead but concentrated on climbing.

A minute later, she pulled herself on board and rolled over flat onto her back to catch her breath.

 _Honestly, Pitch... the things I endure just to save your sorry behind..._

She stared up at the billowing black sails above her and then scrambled to her feet. She was still ascending quickly but not really moving forward, she had to figure out how to pilot this craft right now.

So she grabbed hold of the rather thin ropes that allowed her to control the sails and hopefully steer the boat but she could barely keep her balance. The small ship rocked as if on rough sea.

Already earlier, the girl had noticed two odd clasps on the floor and now she finally understood what they were for.

Melissa placed her feet inside and closed the clasps tightly over them. Now she could stand more securely and started to handle the ropes. She gave them a good strong tug, hoping to lower them but instead they collapsed in on themselves completely, causing the vessel to drop like a stone.

The girl screamed from the top of her lungs, silently though, in ultimate terror and dropped the ropes. Her poncho and dress rushed around her ears and her hair was pulled straight up. The small ship plummeted down at such a speed, that she would have been swept right off the deck, had her feet not been strapped to the floor.

But the moment she released the ropes the sails went up again and the descent came to a sudden halt. The jolt forced her backwards and down onto the planks where she sat for several long moments, rubbing her sore buttocks, trying to catch her breath and calm her racing heart.

 _I'm going to die... I won't even make it to the North Pole... talking about suicide missions..._

She let out a small sob of fear as well as relief.

 _Why am I doing this? Why am I even trying? Why can't I just forget about this jerk and go home?_

The girl wiped her eyes and struggled back to her feet. The sky around her was gray, she couldn't see anything and she realized that she was within the clouds. She had expected it to be freezing up here but for some unfathomable reason, she wasn't cold. She also didn't feel much of the wind. It was strange.

She grabbed the ropes again and braced herself.

But this time, she pulled at them very gently and to her surprise and joy, the sails lowered themselves. She glanced over at the strange controls and meters. Melissa was not sure what they were measuring or if they were even working correctly but it seemed that she was indeed moving forward now.

The vessel was also still rising and when she suddenly burst through the clouds and could see the clear blue sky and the sun ahead of her, she felt her heart leap with joy.

But it only lasted a moment when she became aware of yet another challenge.

"The sun is in the wrong place... no wait... I am flying in the wrong direction! Turn around you stupid thing. The North Pole is that way!"

Not quite sure what to do, she tried one of the ropes on the sides, almost causing the craft to roll over.

This time she merely gasped and quickly let go ago again.

 _Alright, that was close... what am I doing wrong?_

She tried again more gently, but the boat only tilted to the side again. There had to be something else she would need to do in addition.

Melissa looked around, searching for anything she might have overlooked.

There were a few levers sticking out of the deck and she could see gears below them, she had no idea what they were for but she could not reach them either, not with her feet stuck in those clasps.

"Whoever designed this craft, has certainly not imagined anyone shorter than the Nightmare King to navigate it" the girl grumbled to herself and freed her feet, hoping that nothing awful would happen.

There were two levers. Since she needed to turn left, she decided to move the left one. She pulled it towards her carefully. She could hear and feel the gears clicking and something moved below her feet, she could feel the deck vibrating and then the vessel actually turned left very suddenly. But it didn't stop. It kept spinning as if a giant vortex was sucking it down.

The girl stumbled backwards and in her fear of falling overboard grabbed the first thing she could hold on to. The rope for the sail, she had just dropped a minute ago. The sails turned and the boat stopped spinning, it was now flying in circles and Melissa eased down on he rope. The circles became wider.

The dark-haired girl understood now, but she wanted to see for herself. Keeping the rope in her hand, she crawled over to the portside railing and glanced over it. Yes, it was as she had imagined. The side of the boat had opened up and a jet black part of it was now sticking out like the fin of a fish. It stood out at a right angle.

Melissa nodded to herself and grabbed the lever again in one hand, while the other one held the rope. She pushed the lever back a bit, not to its original position but just a bit. She could feel the boat tilt again and she gave the rope a bit more length. The boat was back in balance and floating through the air smoothly in a now very wide circle.

"Hahaaaa!" Melissa cheered in voiceless victory. "I got it!"

She looked at the sun. It had been up for a while and it was probably late in the morning. It had to be in the south east. So north would be … straight ahead!

She pushed the lever back to its original position and eased down on the sail until she was sure, she was flying in the right direction. Then she tied the rope to the mast to make sure, it would stay just that way. Then she tugged gently at the other rope and caused the vessel to sink slightly. It was beautiful above the clouds, but she wanted to be able to see what was below. Then she tied that rope to the mast as well and finally sat down to rest a bit.

Her flying ship was on autopilot now and she could relax for a while. She was tired after all the hard work and it was way past her bedtime anyway...

 _Wait... bedtime? It's bright daylight! Have I really gotten so used to Pitch's habits?_

The thought nearly made her laugh but then she merely shook her head. She could not sleep. Not here and not now. But she could rest and have some food. She crawled over to the storage compartment and took out a bit of bread and cheese and an apple.

Then she simply leaned back against the rear of the boat and watched the sky and the sails as her vessel headed north. It was not like riding Kailash with Katherine, not one bit, but she still felt quite happy. It was not the sky, not the feeling of flying through clouds but the feeling that came with accomplishment, it was pride. She had worked so hard to fix this strange boat and now it obeyed her, she knew how to handle it... more or less.

She took a bite out of her piece of fruit and sighed comfortably.

This was the way to travel, she thought. But then she started wondering what she was going to do, when she reached the North Pole. She would have to land this craft and she would probably crash it in the process. Should she just join her friends and act as if she had never been away? Should she try to persuade them to not travel to the moon? Pitch had said they were planning to fly there. But no matter how hard she believed, she could truly not imagine how.

What if her friends became aware of Pitch's presence before she got there? What would they do? Melissa just could not forget the murderous intent she had felt from them in Punjam Hy Loo. She had never thought that they would actually finish him... for good. It really made her worry.

She looked up from her thoughts as the air around her turned darker. She was flying through a cloud again. But it didn't take long until it was above her.

Melissa stuffed the last little piece of cheese into her mouth and washed it down with a swig of water before she crawled over to the railing and looked down. She could see the land deep down below. There were vast, dark forests, deep blue lakes and the occasional bare mountain. She didn't know that place but it looked beautiful from above.

She crossed her arms over the railing and kept watching the landscape pass by. She still didn't know what to do once she reached her destination but she didn't mind now. She would have to improvise. There was no telling what she would find when she got there, so no plan was as good as anything. All she wanted was to keep Pitch alive somehow. She owed him that. He had saved her life after all. He had not harmed her in any way. Alright he had scared her a few times but that didn't make him evil. He had been downright kind to her, and even almost funny when he had offered her that challenge back at his observatory.

Melissa remembered the question she had asked herself earlier. Why was she doing this... because she knew that Pitch was not as evil as they all believed him to be. The man still had a human heart and soul. The only evil was those fearlings.

She had interrupted them twice now and she could not deny that there had been a change. A change for the better. The thought sparked her hope and made her smile. No matter what everyone said. Pitch was not beyond saving. Perhaps she could make them see it too.

She looked down at the landscape as it slowly changed. There were now less signs of human settlements and the dense dark green she had seen before made way for white, snow covered forests, mountains and plains. When she looked ahead, she could see open water in the distance.

Melissa got up and adjusted the sails again. She was more than low enough. She didn't want to land anywhere in the icy sea by accident. The sun had traveled south and was now in the west and descending. She realized that she had been in the air almost the entire day, and she felt exhausted and tired. She wanted nothing more than to finally see her Friends - Katherine most of all. And she wanted to see Pitch too.

She frowned at this but she had to admit that she was missing him. And that was when she realized that the King of Nightmares had actually grown on her. She liked him... dearly.

She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. It was a complete mess of knots and tangles.

 _Darn... I should have brushed it when he told me to..._

She still had the brush. And now she took it from her pocket and started using it. It was a rather painful business but she should have known. She had time however, plenty of it and nothing better to do except for worrying and thinking. The ocean rushed past below her as the sun closed in on the western horizon and it grew dark once again.

Melissa was so tired when she finally saw a mass of sparkling white ahead. The arctics! Her hair was completely untangled now and she wished she had a piece of string so she could braid it and tie it again.

She forgot about that thought immediately when she saw the northern lights. Melissa knew she was close to her destination and crawled up to the front of her vessel to look further ahead. The icy, snow covered landscape rushed by beyond and then she suddenly saw lights. Lights that had nothing to do with the illuminated sky. They were homely lights behind windows and then she saw the tower.

The northern lights seemed to be emitting from it and she smiled widely.

"North!" she gasped and headed for the pole. The city was truly magnificent, she had to admit. Even from afar. Nicholas had really outdone himself here. Trees were surrounding it and tiny lights shone within their branches.

"Firs" she thought and nodded. They were evergreens. What better tree was there to spark hope and wonder. But then she looked ahead at the large tower in the center and frowned.

"That looks like the tower I saw at the Lamadary " she whispered to herself and even as she did, the tower suddenly radiated with light and started to ascend.

Melissa dashed over to the masts and grabbed the robes, adjusting them and causing her ship to hover in place as she looked on.

 _Oh no..._

The tower rose into the sky with amazing speed and headed off towards the moon.

 _I'm too late..._

For a few eternal seconds, she simply stood there and stared with a blank face, but when that moment of astonishment was over, her expression turned grim and determined. So this was their ride to the moon... Melissa knew that Pitch was somewhere on board that tower-rocket and she would not sit back and watch him go.

She erased the words "too late" from her vocabulary and released the ropes - all of them, the sails rose and she was nearly knocked down again as her boat ascended quickly, following the flying tower.

But she was afraid now. She would have to follow them all the way to the moon! She would have to leave the earths atmosphere! How was she supposed to breathe out there? All she could do was trust in her small boat. It had protected her from the cold and the wind so far and she knew that it had been crafted to travel through space.

Perhaps all she had to do was believe.

Melissa kept her eyes on the flying tower as she followed it, rising rapidly into the dark sky and she believed as hard as she could.

 _I will make it! Everything will be okay, if I only make it to the moon. Katherine will be there, she will believe me! Pitch isn't that bad... doesn't deserve to die. Please you stupid ship... go faster!_

And her ship sped up into the darkness. Melissa could see the flying tower grow smaller and smaller. Her small boat was no match for its speed. But she rushed on. She tugged at the sails urging it to go faster and then suddenly it did.

Suddenly the small space boat sped up at an amazing, breathtaking speed and Melissa knew she was out of reach of the Earth's gravity. She was in space!

IN SPACE!

She crawled over to the railing and looked down on her home planet.

 _Oh my... it's so beautiful..._

She shivered involuntarily.

 _And I am so far away from it... I am in space... and I can breathe too... this vessel must have some magic to it that I don't understand yet..._

She turned around and looked out for the tiny speck of light that was the flying tower. The Moon seemed so close, closer than the earth.

 _I'm going to the moon..._

She flew on, not ever taking her eyes of her target but wondering about her own actions. Was Pitch really worth all the trouble? Her friends, the Guardians wanted him gone from their world. They considered him evil and dangerous. But Melissa knew better. Or at least she thought so. She had spent days with him and he had not done anything evil to her, besides locking her up in a cage. But he had also made sure that she was safe in there. Those horrid fearlings could not enter.

He had scared her plenty though. She remembered clearly how he had told those shadowy creatures off, telling them that she was not for them... not yet! What had he kept her for anyway? He had called her his 'plan B' at some point, in case something went wrong with Katherine.

And then she suddenly wondered about her friends. They had recovered Katherine because Pitch had allowed it. He had wanted them to find her... but what about herself? Why had they searched for her to? And also, why were they traveling to the moon when they knew that she was still somewhere out there? Lost! Alone! With Pitch!

She shrugged that disturbing thought off. Perhaps they needed the Man in the Moon's help in order to find her. Perhaps Pitch had cast some sort of spell that shrouded her from them.

Melissa shook her head violently and realized that she had almost dozed off. She banned all those strange and unsettling thoughts from her mind and concentrated on what she had set out to do.

She was so close the moon now. The flying tower had already arrived and she could see it docking to some sort of platform.

She saw no other buildings down there, as she looked more closely and Melissa wished she had those binoculars right now. But one thing she could still see clearly. Her friends had landed on the moon.

* * *

The Nightmare King's plan was working fabulously. He had traveled to the North Pole, concealed inside the block of nightmare rock. The Guardians had not noticed a thing. They had been far too busy with his attacking fearligns and the girl. Katherine... he had to let her go for now.

But as he emerged from his hiding place and took to the shadows, he wondered about that other girl, the one who was now locked up alone in his caverns. This little golden Sandman, as he had learned, had not even tried to look for her. Neither had that spectral brat.

They had celebrated all night all around him and hadn't even noticed that she was not there. He still felt a bit sick from all the laughter and chattering. But he could not get distracted now. He had a plan and would stick to it. So he waited in the shadows, patiently until he learned more about this trip to the moon.

He remained undetected even as the arctic sun rose. He watched all the preparations happening and finally decided on his new camouflage.

Those furry creatures, the yeti or abominable snowmen, as they were called had piled up boxes, coffers and other luggage that would come along on the trip.

The Nightmare King had quickly made his choice and entered one of the crates. He was a professional when it came to possessing inanimate objects and he could hide in there for days. Patience was truly one of his most useful virtues.

As dusk closed in over the northern hemisphere the yeti started to move the luggage to the flying tower. And so, the Nightmare King was brought on board without anyone ever noticing his presence. All Pitch had to do was simply play possum. He was alright like this, curled up inside the box he possessed, waiting.

Passengers began to board the tower, amongst them was Katherine who was wide awake now and quite happy. But Pitch could also feel the presence of the other guardians and hid himself even deeper into the darkness of his crate.

Then he felt the tower tremble as it took to the air and flew off. His plan was working perfectly! All he had to do was to wait for the Guardians to reach their destination and leave the tower. Only then would he emerge from his hiding place, take over the vessel and leave them stranded out here.

The plan was perfect! And it was working!

 _Suicide mission? Phe! I will be rid of those Guardians before the sun rises again._

But there were also children on board of the flying tower. There was Katherine of course but also all the other kids who had called Santoff Claussen their home. They had arrived on an egg-train earlier and most of them were now pressing their faces against the windows as their dear earth became smaller and smaller.

William the absolutely youngest sneezed. "I need a handkerchief" he said and wiped his nose.

"Then go and find one. Your bag is in the storage" his eldest brother advised slightly annoyed.

The young boy simply nodded and left in search of the place. He passed Ombric, North and the other Guardians on his way, but they were so busy, looking over star charts and other important looking things that he did not want to disturb them. The newest Guardian was there too. The Sandman seemed as excited about visiting the Man in the Moon in person as everyone, but the boy had not heard him say a word so far.

Katherine was there too and the mere sight of her face made the young boy smile. He was so happy to have her back. No one could tell a story like her. But right now she looked a bit worried and the way she was looking around told him that she was searching for someone.

When Nightlight entered the room her face lit up like a beacon and her smile was back as if it had never been gone. William the absolutely youngest hesitated. He had wanted to talk to her, he wanted to hear her story first hand, wanted to know if the Nightmare King had been mean to her and what would happen now. He hadn't had a chance to ask the previous night when everyone had been surrounding her and then she had been cooped up with Nicholas, Ombric and Nightlight all day long, preparing for this amazing journey.

But now she was talking to the spectral boy and William turned away. The young boy left the room and climbed up the spiraling stairs to the storage room. This was where all their personal belongings were now, at least those they had wanted to bring along, like extra clothes, their latest inventions, treats for the creatures they had heard about that lived on the moon and of course presents.

Each and every child and most of the parents too had fashioned something special for the Man in the Moon. So the storage was cramped with boxes and bags and crates and sacks of all sized and shapes.

The boy pushed the door open and carefully peeked into the room. It was very dark in here, but North had shown them earlier how open the protective shields that covered the windows. He knew that it was to protect some of the more sensitive and delicate items in the room, but William would only need a bit of light for a minute until he found his bag.

He felt his way along the wall until he found the lever and pulled it down. Instantly the shields rose and the room was bathed in bright light. The boy was blinded for a moment but then his eyes grew wide. He let go of the lever and stumbled over to the huge windows. The shields stopped moving at the same instant and they were only half way up, but the light was still almost garish.

William the absolutely youngest pressed his face against the stardust infused glass and stared at the sight before him. The moon was so close, he thought he could almost touch it. It was so big, it filled out the entire window front. There was not even a speck of dark space to see.

"Woooow" the boy breathed as he gaped at the wonder that was the moon. He knew by now that this apparently lifeless trabant of the earth had once been a fully functioning spaceship, that had traveled through space from a far away galaxy. And then the Nightmare King had attacked. The Sandman had told them all the story of this last great battle of the Golden Age.

The boy could have stared at the moon forever but then his itching nose reminded him, that he had come here for a reason. He sneezed again before he turned around and started looking for his small bag. He found it quickly and rummaged through it for a clean handkerchief. He had just found one, when a sound distracted him.

William got to his feet and looked around. There was no one else here. But then he heard it again. He could not describe the sound. It was something odd between clattering and scratching. He wondered if some kind of animal was here with him. Perhaps a mouse, or one of those arctic critters that didn't have a name yet.

Ombric of course had picked up their language quickly and had already tought them a few words. But discussions were still ongoing about what they should be named. North Pole Weasel had been one of the Guardian's ideas, but Bunnymund had objected and was very persistent that their proper name was Arctic Pika.

They were adorable, fluffy and friendly things that had taken to the new city quickly and seemed to love playing with the children that came to visit.

William racked his brain to remember and then breathed an hello in their language. The strange noise echoed through the storage room again, but there was no reply that the boy could understand. But he was so very curious and went to investigate.

It didn't take him much time to find the source of the odd sounds. There was a crate at the far end of the room and it was moving. It seemed to shudder and quiver as it inched away from the light.

William stared at it in speechless confusion for a whole minute. And then he realized that something seemed to be oozing out of it. Something that looked like wavering shadows which dissolved the moment they came in touch with the light of the moon.

The boy was not sure what exactly he was looking at, but it could not be good. It made his skin crawl as if he had sat down on an anthill.

He squinted his eyes and frowned at the odd little thing. Then he gasped when he realized what this could possibly be about. He could almost hear an alarm bell go off inside his head and he did the most sensible thing the could have done. He bolted and ran out of the room to call for Ombric or North or Bunnymund. Anyone!

Pitch could barely stand the pain. This had not been part of his plan. He had felt so safe and sure that everything would work to perfection. But this was bad, very bad. The mere proximity to the moon was already pulling on his nerves but now the rays of light stung him like a thousand needles and he found it harder and harder to keep up his disguise. The box he had taken and possessed shielded him somewhat from the platinum light, but he could feel it drain his powers.

If he didn't get to a darker place soon, he would not be able to conceal himself much longer, and he knew all too well what that meant. But the boy had run off and left the shields up. Pitch had started to loose control over the box within instants after they had gone up and alerted the kid. Now all he could do was hope, that the boy would not call the Guardians to investigate.

He struggled to move the crate and get into some kind of shadow. But there was none. And then he could feel the entire craft shudder slightly as it docked to the landing platform.

Pitch found it hard to think with all the pain this light caused him. It was almost as bad as the feeling he remembered from his nightmares. He had to get out of here, out of this stupid box and possess something else. Something that would shield him and hide him better but he could not. The bright silvery light was everywhere! And the Nightmare King had to admit that, because of one little child with an itchy nose, his fool-proof plan was failing. He was trapped like a rat with nowhere to run.

William the absolutely youngest had practically flown down the stairs in search of the Guardians. They were still there, in the control room as he came dashing in.

North turned around to him with a wide smile on his face. "You ready to disembark? We are here. Soon we will meet the Man in the Moon!" he said happily.

"No... North... Ombric. There is something wrong!" he yelped and nearly stumbled into the ex-Cossack's arms. "There is something really creepy in the storage room! I think it might be Pitch... or one of his fearlings!"

The mere mention of the Nightmare King made everyone turn around to the boy. Katherine's eyes were wide with alarm, Ombric and Bunnymund both frowned while the Queen Toothiana and Sandman stared at the child in disbelief. North placed both hands on William's trembling shoulders and looked into his face seriously.

"What did you see?"

And William described everything he had seen and heard.

The Guardians exchanged uneasy glances amongst each other. Bunnymund's ears and whiskers had started to twitch nervously and the wizards impressive mustache was twirling. They did not need to speak a word, they understood that they had been hoodwinked and that foul things were afoot.

They were armed and ready within seconds. Toothiana had her blades out, and so had Nicholas. Ombric clasped his staff more tightly and Bunnymund flipped a chocolate egg from one furry paw to the other.

The Sandman simply frowned deeply. He was always at the ready to bring out his dreamsand whips. Katherine looked fairly scared but she too had drawn her dagger.

 _He can't be here... he can't be! This is too reckless... even for him!_

"Don't be afraid, Katherine" North whispered calmly as they climbed the winding stairs up to the storage room. "Pitch will be no match for all of us... not here."

Then he turned to Ombric. "We need to drive him out of the tower. Out onto the moon's surface, he won't stand a chance! There will be no shadows for him to hide in!"

The wizard simply nodded but Toothiana growled. "He must have come to go after the Man in the Moon himself!"

Bunnymund and Sandy nodded their agreement. "He tried to kill him once before. Now he has come to finish the job" the Pooka agreed.

And then they burst into the storage room, ready for battle. But all they found was a light flooded room full of boxes. One of them was quivering slightly.

"That's the one!" William the absolutely youngest exclaimed and pointed at it as he clasped his own little knife to his heaving chest.

All of them, without fail had imagined the room swarming with fearlings and nightmare men but there was nothing. Just that rather inconspicuous small crate in the corner.

"Whose is that?" Ombric asked but everyone around him only shrugged. He glanced out of the window and saw that most of the other children and their parents had already left the craft and were waiting for them on the platform. The man in the moon must have known that they would come.

Then he nodded. "Let's move this box outside and see what it holds" he suggested. "If it really is Pitch or one of his vile minions, the light of the moon is already doing a job on him. Let us see what the Moons very surface will do!"

"Good idea" Toothiana sighed. She was even a bit disappointed. The Queen had expected an epic battle but this was just pathetic. But still, none of them dared to step forward to pick up the trembling box.

The Sandman knew that this was his turn and he flicked his wrists. Strands of dreamsand sprouted from his palms and wrapped themselves around the suspicious object. With a bit of a tug, it was dragged over the floor and towards them.

Sandy looked up and his new friends and allies and nodded. They understood and moved back, out of the door and down the stairs as the absolutely youngest William hurried down ahead of them. He made it to the exit of the flying tower before the Guardians and rushed over to his father and brothers to tell them what was going on.

The crowd on the platform immediately moved backwards as they heard rumors of Pitch being here. They could see stairs nearby, that would lead them down to the surface. They ran for them, hoping the Man in the Moon would come and they would be safe.

Inside the flying tower the mysterious crate was being pulled down a number of stairs and the Nightmare King was truly terrified by now. He was helpless. He had never planned for anything like this to happen. But he had been discovered! By mere coincidence! Because of some stupid child. And now he was defenseless and completely at their mercy.

Pitch could stand the moonlight on earth where it was weaker. It stung him a bit but could not seriously harm him. But now he was being dragged out into that blinding brightness and he felt his powers melt away like snow beneath the desert sun. He could no longer possess this object. He could not hide there anymore and once the Guardians had dragged it out onto the platform where nothing could shield him from the pain, he lost control completely.

The Guardians had surrounded the ominous box, weapons drawn. Sanderson Mansnoozie pulled it away from the flying tower and out of its shadow into the bright light, close to the edge of the landing platform.

The platform was a nearly translucent wonder of sparkling moonstone and starlight infused silver and it reached out into the orbit of the moon. The flying tower – a gift of the lunar lamas – was docked to it and somewhere behind the Guardians was the staircase that led down to the surface. The lunar palace could not be far away. There from the bottom of the stairs William the absolutely youngest was watching the scene unfold along with this family and friends.

The Nightmare King could no longer keep up his hold on the small casket. The stinging light forced him to let it go and he found himself exposed and weak in the presence of his fiercest enemies. He dropped his disguise and stumbled backwards towards the rear of the platform.

He was blinded and could barely see the Guardians, but he could hear the sounds as they drew their weapons. Pitch pulled himself together and tried to ignore the agony. He tried to summon up his weapon of choice, the scythe. But nothing happened. Nothing...

The Nightmare King realized that the light of the moon... no... the light of the sun that reflected on the moon's bright surface completely neutralized his power. This was a world without shadow or fear. He had no power here, literally! He was completely defenseless. He was in so much pain and the only way to perhaps save himself was begging... _begging!_

 _But I can't die... I don't want to die!_

The Guardians advanced on him and he staggered backwards towards the end of the platform, and when he realized that he was running out of space he gave up and threw up his hands.

"Alright... " he gasped. "You caught me." It was perhaps worth a try though... "and can you blame me?"

 _Of course they can.._

"I had to try... I had to... " he gasped as all of them readied their weapons.

Pitch knew he was done for. They would kill him right here and now. But as he realized his own doom, strange thoughts ran though his mind. If he died, what would become of Melissa? He had seen this small golden fellow and the spectral boy taking Katherine. They had not even looked for anyone else. Had they actually abandoned the other child?

"Wait!" he rasped and held out a hand. "I give up! I know when I am beaten! But I have one question for you."

The Guardians stopped advancing but did not lower their weapons.

"You came for her!" he pointed at Katherine, who cringed slightly. "Why didn't you look for the other girl?"

Neither North nor Ombric nor Bunnymund or Toothiana had any idea what he was talking about.

"What other girl?" the Queen wondered and looked around at her friends. "Is anyone else missing?"

The Nightmare King couldn't believe it. Those Guardians had not even noticed the girl's absence. They didn't know whom he was referring too. Realizing this, he felt a new wave of pain wash over him. He had never known he could hurt that much and still stay on his feet – just barely though.

Katherine however had a pretty good idea who he was talking about. She had been wondering where Melissa was ever since she had returned to her friends. Her new friend had not been present at her return. First she had thought that she was perhaps back in Santoff Claussen, but when she had asked North and Ombric about her, both of them had scratched their necks and told her that they thought they had seen her around. But now Katherine knew the truth and she was shocked.

"You have Melissa? What have you done to her?" she cried out and flourished her dagger.

Pitch backed away another step but he could barely stand. All that light was pressing down on him, burning him, draining him. His powers were completely gone, there were no shadows to manipulate and even if there had been any, he doubted that he could have done it.

He reached inside his robes for the instant darkness orbs. They were useless to him now. They would not work, not here. But then his fingers closed around an object he had almost forgotten.

The Nightmare King knew he was going to die. Either by the weapons of his enemies or more slowly by all this burning light. He would cease to exist. His end was only minutes or even moments away, but perhaps he could at least save her.

 _It was a suicide mission after all... just as she said... I should have listened... why didn't I listen?_

He recalled their last short conversation and suddenly realized something with such clarity, it hurt him almost more than the light.

 _She wasn't worried for her friends safety... but for mine! She was afraid... for me..._

"You monster! What have you done to that girl?" North hollered when Pitch didn't reply to Katherine's question.

"She's within my caves" he breathed heavily. "You have to find her... please ... otherwise..."

His end was near, but at least the girl could live on. And Pitch sent a silent wish out to anyone who might listen.

 _Please Liz, be safe... and don't forget me.._.

Then he tossed the key towards Katherine. The very key that would open Melissa's cage.

Time seemed to stand still as the small silvery object floated towards her, slowed down by the low gravity. But then Katherine caught it. She did not even look at it, instead she stared up into the Nightmare King's agonized face.

 _He's dying... this place is killing him... the moon... the light... and he knows it!_

She had barely time to process that realization when everyone around her exploded into action.

The Guardians attacked. They had mistaken Pitch's sudden move for a surprise attack and didn't hesitate to defend their dear friend.

Everything was happening so fast, too fast. North's battle-cry made Katherine's ears ring but also jolted her back to her senses. She quickly glanced back at Pitch, who had taken several steps back and was now leaning against the balustrade for support. The girl let out a silent gasp. He had his eyes closed tightly, his right hand, the pale, human looking one, was clutching the silver locket to his heart.

He knew what was coming and he was preparing himself.

 _He... isn't even trying to fight..._

Katherine whirled around, almost loosing her balance but then she rushed forward, right into North's path.

"Wait! Don't... he's not..." she cried out.

Nicholas nearly barreled into her but stopped himself just in time. Nightlight, who could feel his friends thoughts like his own froze in midair and lowered his staff. Then the other Guardians could feel it too. Bunnymund had been right behind his now rather portly friend. He had just catapulted himself into the air and would have crashed into him, had it not been for Toothiana. She had the presence of mind, to yank the Pooka back by his ears.

Bunnymund yelped in surprise and pain but did not even bother to scold the feathered Queen. He looked on in shock as both Ombric and the Sandman could not stop what they had already done. The instant Pitch had thrown the key, Sandy had shot a bolt of dreamsand his way and Ombric had at the same moment conjured up a magic storm.

There was no stopping either of the missiles. Ombric tried a counter-spell, but he was not quite fast enough.

The Nightmare King hardly even felt the impact when the golden sand hit him square in the chest. He was beyond pain. But he could feel the storm taking a hold on him. His feet left the ground and somewhere he could hear a girl screaming in terror.

And then he fell. Not down, for the gravity was far too low. The force of the spell knocked him straight off the platform and pushed him away from the moon - head over heels into the endless open space.

Katherine was at the balustrade within an instant, reaching out for him, but he was already too far away. Nightlight was right behind her, pulling her back for fear she might fall too.

The girl turned around to him. She was not angry at any of them. They had tried to protect her, but this had not even been a battle. It had been an execution. Everything was so wrong... so terribly wrong.

Nightlight couldn't bear to look at his dearest friend. Her gray eyes were darker than usual and so incredibly sad it broke his heart. He pulled her close and hugged her tightly, trying to comfort her. Moments later the other Guardians had gathered around them and joined them in a gentle group hug.

"I'm so sorry Katherine. I didn't realize..." Ombric whispered. Sandy didn't need to say a word, Katherine knew he felt the same. They all did. They had done something despicable, something awful, something they would never be able to fix.


	12. Chapter 12

But then Toothiana let out a gasp of surprise and alarm. "What is that?" she asked and pointed.

The hug was broken and everyone turned to look. They could still see Pitch drifting further and further away, unmoving. Nothing more than a limp black rag that became smaller and more distant by the minute. But this was not what caught everyone's attention. Something else was moving out there. They could not make it out clearly at first. All they saw was a blur of black that shot across the sky with incredible, breakneck speed.

And it was headed right for that small black dot that was the Nightmare King.

Katherine squinted her eyes and frowned. "Is that... a boat?" she wondered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

And an instant later, she could hear Sandy's thoughts as the newest Guardian reached out for all of them, to share what was on his mind.

"It is indeed!" the little man was positively shocked, they could all feel it. "Is is a lifeboat. But a nightmare-vessel so small can not travel that far through space. There has to be a galleon somewhere nearby, like the one Pitch commanded once. I had no idea there were still dream pirates out here!"

"Dream Pirates?" Ombric and North shouted out as one. They remembered the story Sandy had told them in a dream clearly.

Katherine bit her lip. She was actually relieved that someone had come to safe their enemy but also worried. What would happen now? Would they have to fight him again? Would they possibly have to battle legions of those pirates?

Bunnymund let out a low growl and hopped off back towards the flying tower.

"What are you slowpokes waiting for? We have to find out more. If they are here to reclaim their King, things are going to get ugly. The Man in the Moon might be in serious danger!"

"Oh dear!" Toothiana gasped. "You are right! We have to warn him!"

Ombric placed a hand on Katherine's shoulder and spoke to her with a grave and serious voice. "I need you to go with the others, dear. You have to find Tsar Lunar and tell him what happened. He will be able to keep you all safe."

The girl's eyes widened. "But I want to go with you!" she argued. "I want to know what is going on!"

"You will, Katherine. But we need you to lead everyone to safety!" North, who had walked up behind them promised and patted her shoulder gently.

The girl sighed and nodded. "Alright."

She turned around and hurried for the stairs that led down to the Moon's surface. She could see low buildings not far away but they did not really look like houses, more like natural rock, but Katherine could tell that they were not. They had windows! One of them was a bit larger and it looked as if it actually had a door. This would be their way in.

When she joined her friends and their parents at the foot of the long staircase, she was instantly surrounded by a knot of people and caught in a crossfire of questions.

But there was no time to talk now. She pushed through the crowd and urged them to move. "Come quickly. We have to find the Man in the Moon and get to safety!"

They heard the anxiety in her voice and fell silent. Then they followed her with wide bouncing steps across the moons surface. When the door, she had seen from the stairs came into view again it was already open.

The outline of a man was visible within the frame and he waved.

"My dear friends!" he called out and all of them recognized the voice instantly. "Come! Quickly, quickly!"

"The Man in the Moon!" Fog whispered in awe. There were similar excited murmurs all around him but then they hurried forward as quickly as they possibly could.

* * *

Melissa was almost there. The tower had not landed but actually docked to something that looked like a landing platform, crafted especially for this purpose. The Man in the Moon had obviously been expecting them and had made preparations to welcome his guests.

The dark-haired girl felt a pang of melancholy. How she would like to meet him too! But the Guardians had not come for her, or had not found her. She wondered if they had even tried. Besides, she was here for another reason.

She closed in on her target quickly now. But she did not want to be discovered just yet. For now she simply needed to know what was happening and she got to work on the sails again. She went straight up and made sure she had the darkness of space behind her. It would camouflage her well enough for now.

The boat slowed down considerably and then even came to a hover. She was high above the platform and not too worried about being spotted. The Guardians were way too busy down there but the girl did not like what she saw. Not one bit.

But then she caught a glimpse of a short figure with wavy auburn hair.

"Kat!" she gasped and her heart leaped. Her friend was alright! Pitch however was far from that. She could not see his face but the way he held himself was telling. He was surrounded, cornered with nothing but empty space behind him.

 _Sometimes I hate it to be right! Now what am I supposed to do? What will they do?_

She had not even finished the thought when the Guardians attacked. For no obvious reason as it seemed, they suddenly rushed forward with their weapons drawn.

She was too far away to really hear anything, but Melissa could have sworn she heard Katherine scream.

And she would have done the same if she had been able too. But she didn't, she had no time to scream or even to curse. Instead she ran for the ropes and levers, yanked her vessel around and forced the sails into the correct position as if she had done nothing else her entire life.

The boat obeyed instantly and the race was on. The girl steered the small craft with mastery and incredible speed without ever taking her eyes off her target. She knew she was too high up. And even with all the wind in the universe, she would not be there as fast as she wanted to be. She didn't know how long Pitch could survive out there, she didn't even know if he still _was_ alive.

The mere idea caused her physical pain. She placed her feet into the clamps and got a solid stance.

With one powerful tug she caused the sails to collapse once again, but this time, she was prepared. She felt the rush of her fall but still could not hear a sound. It was a strange sensation but it also helped her to keep her mind clear. Melissa even wondered, how this could work. There was no gravity, no real wind! It was as if the boat was reading her mind and did just what she needed it to do.

She plummeted on until she was almost level with Pitch and could see him clearly for the first time. And he didn't look good. Melissa still couldn't tell whether he was alive or not. But she gently eased down on the sails and pulled the left lever in a bit.

The boat was still sinking but much more slowly now and in perfectly controlled circles. She just had to be careful not to hit him. Then she tied the ropes to the mast and grabbed the other one, the one she had used to escape from her cage. It too was still tied to the mast and now she wrapped it around her waist again.

She didn't need all the length of it, just enough to keep herself from falling overboard.

She was almost there now, but the circles were too wide and she could not reach him. Another small adjustment to the lever fixed that quickly and she was back at the railing in an instant.

Melissa leaned out as far as she could, reaching for him, whispering his name, but the eternal silence of space swallowed every sound.

All Pitch felt as he fell was that everlasting pain and the void tugging at his soul. He did not even try to resist. He knew well enough just how hopeless his situation was. But as he tumbled away from the moon, the pain began to ease down a bit, instead he could feel the cold creeping in. It wormed its way under his skin and chilled him to his bones.

 _So this is what dying feels like..._

He kept his eyes closed, the last thing he wanted to see was were he was going and even less where he had come from. At least his eyes would not have to endure the glare of the moon.

Pitch wished Katherine had not stopped the Guardians. He wished North would have cleaved him in half with this fancy sword of his. It would have been quick and clean. But it seemed that fate wanted him to suffer.

 _Maybe that's what I deserve..._

 _Or maybe she is just being a bi..._

His eyes flew open and he felt as if he had just received a severe electric shock. But what he really felt was truly the very last thing he had ever expected. It was the touch of a small, warm hand around his wrist. He couldn't see clearly, something was blocking out the moon. Something that looked oddly familiar.

 _Sails?_

Melissa hauled him in, but it was not as easy as she had hoped. It was as if the ship itself had some kind of shield that didn't want to let anyone in. But for one moment though she thought she had seen him move slightly. This gave her new hope and new strength.

She pulled him closer with one hand, the other reached for his robe and after another immense effort, she managed to wrap her arms around his torso and using her own body as a lever, kicked away from the railing causing herself and The Nightmare King to tumble down onto the strange, black planks of the deck.

The girl heaved an enormous sigh but did not let go of him. She felt more like burying her face within his robes and cry like a baby. But she couldn't do that. She wouldn't! Even she had her pride.

"I've got you!" she sighed for her own reassurance and with heartfelt relief. She could hardly believe she had actually done it. Melissa pushed herself up on her hands and knees. Then she placed one hand gently on his chest and smiled. She could feel it rise and fall quite rapidly. His heart was pounding even faster.

He was alive! Out cold perhaps, but alive and for a moment this was all that mattered to Melissa.

Then she glanced over at the moon and frowned. It seemed dimmer suddenly, as if she was looking though something like tinted glass. She found that odd, almost disturbing but then her jaw dropped as she suddenly came to understand what this was.

This vessel, this wonderful space-boat provided it's passengers with whatever they needed. Breathable air, shelter from the cold, the wind and darkness if it was needed. And Pitch needed it badly.

But still, the sight made her feel uneasy. She looked around and could see the Earth on the starbord side and on the horizon the light of the rising sun. She was practically in-between and in clear sight. They could spot her easily if they hadn't already. They might have even witnessed her daredevil rescue action.

She wanted to go home, to get as far away from here as possible, but she was completely worn out. She had been awake and alert for what seemed like forever and she was close to collapsing from sheer exhaustion. What she needed now was some kind of cover. Some place out of sight where she could rest and recover for a little while until she felt a bit better.

But where could she find a place like this out here? She was still staring at the moon, chewing nervously on her lip when she had a sudden enlightenment.

 _Of course! The other side!_

Melissa didn't hesitate another second but stepped gingerly around her seemingly unconscious passenger and navigated the vessel gracefully but swiftly, in a wide arc around the moon, keeping a generous safety distance to the surface. It took her a while but she did not stop until the sun was completely blocked out and the only light she could see was the gentle twinkle of silver starlight.

Only then, when she felt more secure did she adjust the sails once again and brought the boat to a hover. She tied the ropes to the mast diligently and cast a wary glance back the way she had come. She did not see anything suspicious though so she finally allowed herself to relax a bit. She really needed a break. She eased herself down onto the rough surface of the deck and then just let herself fall flat onto her back beside Pitch where she closed her eyes for a moment.

 _I did it... I really did it.._

She was so so relieved but also so tired, as if she hadn't slept in ages.

Melissa was quite aware of the fact that she really hadn't slept in a long time. She could not even tell how many days or nights had passed since she had had some serious rest.

And she also knew that she would not be able to get any real rest as long as they were out here. All she would allow herself to would be perhaps ten or twenty minutes. She had to get herself and her unconscious friend back to earth and to safety.

She frowned at her own thoughts. Since when was Pitch her friend?

 _The Nightmare King? Seriously?_

But if he wasn't, why had she gone through such lengths to save him? The girl wiped a few sweaty strands of hair from her face and took a deep breath trying to recall the nights she had spent in his caves.

 _Because I wanted to prove something, because I believe that there is good in him! No one else seems to even consider the option, but I do believe in him! I know it..._

She took a few deep breaths.

 _It doesn't matter what he is. I am his friend and that's that. The rest is up to him..._

Melissa cracked her eyes open and wiped at them wearily.

 _Drat it, when have I started crying?_

She snuffled noisily and looked around at him and noticed with a start that he seemed to be awake. His eyes were half open but he simply looked up at the black sails and the stars.

"Pitch?" she whispered carefully but he didn't seem to hear her.

Melissa reached out carefully and poked his shoulder. "Pitch? Are you alright?"

He flinched at the unexpected touch and forced his head around to look at her. His eyes widened to the size of saucers and something seemed to click inside his mind.

He gasped for breath. "Liz?"

His voice was barely more than her own whisper and his expression was one of complete confusion and disbelief. He stared at her face as if he was seeing a ghost.

"Er... you alright?" she asked again sheepishly and withdrew her hand.

The Nightmare King really couldn't believe what he was seeing. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and then into a sitting position, a bit surprised that he was actually able to do so.

 _How can this be? Have I died and... no... I wouldn't go to such a place... this is like a dream... yes, I probably passed out … finally... I am dreaming... but I don't dream. Not dreams like this... I only have nightmares..._

He reached out to her with his left hand. Melissa tried not to back away, but stiffened as he gingerly touched her cheek.

Pitch felt the warm, soft and slightly sweaty skin of her pale face.

"You.. are real..." he breathed and shook his head. "But how... how did you get out here?"

Melissa grinned smugly and waved her hand around at the boat.

"Isn't it obvious?"

He looked around and if possible, his eyes grew even wider in recognition, but then the girl was right... again. It was quite obvious.

"But... how … where did you find this?" he looked back into those starlit blue eyes. "How did you get out of that cage in the first place?"

At this, Melissa could feel her face grow hot.

 _Oh boy, now I'm in for it..._

But before she could even think of a reply he went on. His voice was a bit shaky, as if he had just realized something that shook his very soul.

"You... you saved me... but why?"

The girl looked away for a moment, trying hard not to show how embarrassed she was, or rather hide her face from him because she could not avoid it.

"You saved me first, remember? I owed you one" she mumbled and then dared to look around at him again with a rather mischievous smile. "And besides, I am not letting you out of our deal that easily."

Pitch didn't understand a word. He simply stared at her in utter confusion and was barely able to string two words together but then he finally managed to ask.

"What deal?"

The girl rolled her eyes at him and shook her head.

"Our competition in your observatory! I won, remember? I spotted them first! And I still want you to introduce me to those telescopes!"

Pitch's yaw dropped and Melissa quite enjoyed his blank expression.

"As for your other questions... I found this boat practically on your doorstep. I noticed it first from your observatory too. It was down in that valley, stuck in a tree. I thought you knew. It took me a while to fix it up and I... I had to kind of raid your bed in order to make new sails." she admitted with a sigh.

Still Pitch only stared.

The girl sighed again and put her hand into her pocket. A moment later she held out a small, thin piece of metal to him. "And I used this to pick the lock of my cage. I'm sorry..."

He looked at the small item in her hand and finally nodded.

"When did you take this?"

"The night we made those instant darkness orbs" she whispered guiltily.

"You have been out of the cage before, then..." Pitch reasoned as his mind was beginning to work normally again.

Melissa simply nodded.

"Why didn't you run away?"

She looked up and their eyes met. Melissa knew that it was always best to tell the truth, but she could not tell him about the fearlings... He wouldn't believe it anyway.

"I wanted to... at first. But where to? I could have gotten to that vale but it is surrounded by mountains. And then, well... I decided to stay. You would have caught me anyway."

Pitch nodded and for the first time since their reunion, she saw the shadow of a smile on his face.

He could tell she was holding something back, but that was alright. The girl must have her reasons. And she was right anyway. She could have tried to run, but whatever route she might have taken, she would not have gotten far.

Yet, what she had done, merely to safe him or for whatever reasons baffled him. He looked around and scanned the vessel he was in. He could see the repairs she had done on this ramshackle, old longboat. She had done an awful lot of work for such a little wench.

And she had flown it all the way to the moon. He only held scraps of memory but he figured, that this was not such an easy thing to do. She could have died! Yet, she had somehow mastered the art.

She could also have used it to simply fly away. She could have returned to the village of Santoff Claussen, or to the North Pole, but she had not. She had followed them out into space only to rescue him... she had tried to stop him too. She had been genuinely afraid for him.

All of this simply because she thought that she owed him? Or for stargazing? Impossible!

Melissa was feeling very uncomfortable from the way he looked at her. What was he thinking? Why didn't he say anything?

 _Come on you, say something! Just start ranting already because I managed to escape your pathetic excuse for a prison!_

Then however he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and when he looked up again he actually smiled.

Melissa's jaw dropped slightly, she was baffled beyond reason. She had been so sure he would get angry, she had been waiting for him to scold her but when nothing happened, the girl realized that he was probably too relieved to be alive to even be mad.

"Maybe we should get out of here" he offered and she nodded, returning the smile sheepishly.

"Good idea. Can you fly this thing?"

"Sure, but I can't wait to hear the story of how you have learned to do so."

"The hard way" Melissa admitted simply but grinned. But then her eyes suddenly widened in alarm when she noticed the glimmer of a bright, moving object as she looked over his shoulder.

"What the heck is that?" she breathed.

Pitch whirled around and tensed. "The flying tower! They are leaving already?"

"That can't be!" the girl agreed and pushed herself up at the railing, watching the tower move with a frown. "Why would they? They only just got here!"

"Time to go" Pitch decided and forced himself to his feet. His chest still stung from the blow he had received and his entire body was sore, but he felt a lot better, he was alright and able to do this. He took control of the ropes and levers.

What they had not been aware of however was the fact, that the moon was not stationary. It circled the Earth and it had come closer with every minute that had passed.

Melissa clung to the railing and watched the bright tower-rocket as it became bigger with frightening speed.

"Pitch?" she whispered and even without a voice he could tell that she was beginning to panic. "They are not leaving... they are... coming after us!"

"What?" he rasped and looked around from what he was doing and saw what the girl meant.

"They are going to attack us!" Melissa started sobbing from sheer terror. Those people aboard that beautiful tower were her friends! Katherine was probably amongst them but... "They are coming to kill us both."

The Nightmare King forced the small craft to swerve and pick up speed but he saw the attack coming before Melissa was even aware of it. And it came from a completely different direction.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bright spark and when he looked around he saw a powerful ray of bright silvery light. His eyes widened in shock. It was not coming at him or the boat. It was aimed straight at the girl!

"Liz!" he yelled and dropped the ropes.

Melissa didn't even have time to turn her head when she was being grabbed from behind and forced to the ground. But she did feel the power of the impact as Pitch got struck straight into the back and fell forward over and on top of her.

She could hear him groan into her ear in pain and she struggled to get out from under his weight.

"Pitch? Pitch! Are you okay?" she gasped in fear, but he was already trying to get up again.

"Just a scratch..." he growled and pushed himself up onto his knees.

Melissa was already at the ropes to get the tumbling craft back under control.

"Stay down!" she hissed and urged the vessel to head towards her home planet. She knew they were under fire and kept her eyes not only on the flying tower that was now awfully close but also on the moon itself. She managed to dodge two more missiles, using all the skill she had gained in navigating her space-boat and sped away.

She knew, her tiny craft was no match for the speed of that tower, but it fell back behind her as if chasing them away was it's only objective. But the attacks had not come from the Guardians. They had come from the moon itself.

At least Pitch listened to her now and was staying down on the ground.

Then Melissa thought again.

 _Since when does he listen to me... or obey me?_

He would not do that unless he was incapable of getting up and that would mean he was seriously injured!

She forced her vessel on course to make a beeline straight back to earth and then tied the ropes back to the mast before she rushed to his side.

"Just a scratch?" she huffed and touched his shoulder.

"Don't worry" Pitch whispered but his voice was shaky with pain. He tried to smile through it but Melissa could see it anyway. His robes were smoldering on his back. A hole had been burnt into them. She didn't even want to know what he looked like underneath.

No matter what he was saying, she was worried - no, she was scared to death.

"Hang in there" she whispered. "Please! I'll get us out of here and I will fix you up. I promise! I will find a way!"

The Nightmare King still smiled. "I know you will..." then his face contorted in agony.

* * *

The Man in the Moon had ushered Katherine and her friends along with all the parents inside his home beneath the surface of the Moon. He had bid them welcome and told them not to fear. No evil would befall them here. His automatic defense systems were always ready and loaded.

"But Pitch made it to the very surface!" Tall William dared to object.

"He is a crafty one indeed" the Man in the Moon admitted. "But the light and benevolence of my home neutralize his shadows. Katherine, dear, you have seen it first hand. He has no power here."

The auburn-haired girl nodded but didn't want to remember this. She still couldn't believe that the Nightmare King had done something so incredibly stupid as to come to the moon of all places.

"Man in the Moon..." she started but the stout man shushed her. "Please, my friends. Call me Manny. Man in the Moon is such a mouth full and it's not really a name anyway.

Katherine smiled at this but her fears were too overpowering. "Manny, you won't kill him, will you?"

"The Nightmare King?" he asked as he led them through bright corridors carved out of glowing moonstone.

The girl nodded.

"You are worried about him... you feel … something for him" Manny figured. "Why?"

"My parents died in a snowstorm" she said sadly, completely unable to keep secrets from him. "I never got to know them, really. And Pitch lost his family too... and I know he loved his daughter dearly. He still does... he believed her to be dead. And then she suddenly shows up again and … tells him that she hates his guts... I heard him back there... he was so amazed and glad to see her alive. But she was so hard on him, so cruel... I know now that he still does have a heart... because I could hear it break. I can't help but feel sorry for him."

The Man in the Moon pondered over this for a moment or two and then nodded. "I understand, but that does not make him any better, does it?"

"It might" Katherine objected meekly. "Don't _you_ think, he can be saved?"

Manny gave her a most mysterious smile.

"He might... or he might not... this is not for us to decide. All we can do is sit and wait and watch. Follow me. I will show you what I mean."

And they followed him. Through wide tunnels that were illuminated by the light that flooded in through small windows above them and veins of moonstone that ran through the walls around them and gave of a soft, silvery glow.

Soon they reached a vast chamber and most of them slipped when they stepped in. It was shaped like a perfect orb and there were telescopes all around it, enabling Tsar Lunar to observe the goings on on the blue planet below. The walls were translucent from the inside (much like the Nightmare King's observatory in fact) and when they looked back at the way they had come, it disappeared and they could see the starlit sky all around them.

There were quite a few "Wow"'s and "Aww"'s and other gasps of wonder and even fright around Manny but when he asked them to follow him once more, no one stayed behind. He led them to one side and they all saw the flying tower they had arrived on. It was already moving away from the platform and Katherine felt a jolt of longing in her heart. She so wanted to be with North and Ombric and most of all she wanted to be with Nightlight, she felt strangely lonely without him.

But the flying tower sped off into the unknown without her.

"Come" Manny said gently. "Let us find out what our enemy is doing."

They followed him across the spherical room. It was not an easy thing to do, they could see nothing but empty space underneath their feet and the angle didn't help either. They slipped and slid around quite disgracefully and old William, the father of the younger Williams swore loudly.

"I am too old for this, my poor joints!"

His boys however grinned and slid down to the bottom of the orb on their bottoms and crawled back up on the other side. Petter, Sascha and Fog tried to walk, imitating Manny who led the way gracefully.

When they had finally reached the spot, Manny pointed out into the dark space. There was no light here except for the stars.

Katherine shuddered. "That's the backside of the moon, right? The side that never sees sunlight."

"Yes" Manny nodded. "They are using this moon's own shadow as a cover. But here" he gestured to the numerous small telescopes around. "Go ahead and see for yourselves."

There were quite a few of them around, and they were of the strangest designs they had ever seen. They looked a lot simpler than the one's they knew from Earth, there were no wheels to turn and no levers to pull, each one had just a simple, short tube with slits for the eyes. But still there were not enough of them to go around, not for so many people and they had to share. Quickly enough though they had assembled in groups of threes or fours and looked.

"There they are!" William the absolutely youngest gasped when he caught sight of the strange dark ship. But then he took a step back from the device. His face was a grimace of complete confusion and lack of comprehension.

"But... that... that is... it can't _be_!"

Katherine, who was sharing with Petter and Sascha also took a step back from the telescope when she recognized not only Pitch there but also another person. A girl. She could not see her face, but that mass of long hair looked oddly familiar. Katherine gulped down a lump in her throat but then the girl on the boat looked around and her yaw dropped as she recognized her new friend on the creepy nightmare-craft.

"Liz...?" she breathed. "But how? Why? That's impossible!"

"Didn't he mention something about her being locked up inside some cave?" Tall William asked in confusion as he allowed his next younger brother to take over on their spyglass.

Katherine nodded and then tried to get back to the device but Sascha was looking through it.

She turned to Manny. "What is going on? How did she get here?"

Manny smiled quite mysteriously again.

"There are no dream pirates after all" Katherine finally groaned. "It's Liz... she flew that ship, the stars know where she got it or how she did it but... she saved Pitch! Why?"

"She is doing what I told her to do" Manny said serenely. "She is following her heart, she is shaping the future, like a new spark of light in the darkness... but she doesn't know that."

Then suddenly the Man in the Moon stepped closer to the translucent wall and a line or two appeared above his brow.

"They should be getting away. If my moon comes any closer to that nightmare-vessel, the automatic cannons will activate."

"Auto... what?" parents and children alike gasped in unison.

"Automatic cannons" he repeated. "They were on the moon clipper when it was attacked. But they are programmed to fire at any nightmare-craft that approaches ist surface. Unfortunately a large part of this place had been destroyed in the battle. And I can't get to them. My power is not physical. And my moonbots are not fashioned to dig through debris or for breaking down old walls. Those two have to get away, and quickly too!"

"What will happen, if they don't?" Katherine whispered in fright but before the Man in the Moon had a chance to explain, there was a flash of bright light.

For an instant they were all blinded, but the moment Sascha turned away from the telescope to rub her eyes Katherine was back at it and she witnessed how the Nightmare King flung himself into the line of fire to protect his young friend. She saw them fall and then, only for an instant Melissa's terrified face as she managed to get back to her feet and piloted the dark alien boat away from the moon, swerving and dodging two more blasts from those cannons.

"Liz" she sobbed. "What happened? Has she been turned darkling? Has she changed sides?"

"No" Manny said gently but his voice was heavy with sorrow. "She is still your friend and she is trying to do what she believes to be the right thing."

Katherine tore her eyes away from the telescope and looked into his kindly face. He looked deeply troubled, almost pained as he stared out into the darkness where the tiny boat was soon out of sight.

"Manny" Tall William asked timidly but his hazel eyes too were wide with shock. "Manny, what just happened..."

"I wish it had not" the man in the Moon said sadly. "That poor girl. She went through so much trouble and pain for Pitch's sake, because she believes in the impossible. And now it looks as if it has all been in vain."

"In vain?" the mother of Petter and Sascha asked with fear written all over her pretty face.

"Tsar Lunar. What exactly did that cannon fire?" her husband inquired in a business-like manner. "Perhaps there is still hope!"

Manny looked at him and all the others who had gathered around. Some faces were worried, others shocked and some completely baffled.

"Please" he said. "We are all friends here, there is no need for such formalities. As for your question, it's concentrated, bundled moonlight, or actually sunlight, reflected by the luminary you are currently on. The Moon does not shine on it's own, you know. But the light is powerful very effective against creatures of darkness."

Manny looked around at the many faces with a heavy feeling in his heart.

"It would not cause much harm to any human... but to Pitch... it is fatal."

"But Manny" Katherine whispered in horror. "Pitch got hit! He shielded Melissa from the blast and got hit! He was trying to protect her. I saw it... I still can't believe it but I saw it with my own eyes!"

"I saw it too" Manny agreed. "Is it not strange how the direst situations manage to bring out the best in a person? It seems our enemy is no exception. He was so close to getting back on the right path... and now this. It is sad, it is not what I had planned or imagined. But it can't be changed. He will die. Not even Bunnymunds chocolate eggs can safe him now. There may be one creature powerful enough to heal him, but she is probably the last person who would willingly do so."

* * *

Melissa had brought the nightmarish vessel onto a straight path to Earth. She had to get herself and Pitch to safety. She knew he was hurt... badly, but she had her mind set on not giving up. She would not loose hope just yet.

The vessel was now on auto-pilot, meaning she had the direction set and the ropes controlling the sails were tied securely to the masts so there would be no straying off course.

And now she was on her knees beside the fallen Nightmare King and carefully turned him over on his side. She could feel that he was breathing, she could feel his heartbeat but he was out cold as far as she could tell.

Melissa had no idea what that bright missile had done to him but she could tell it was serious. And even though she had promised it, she had no idea how she was supposed to fix this. She felt strangely numb as she stroked his shoulder gently, as if she was in a trance. She was so exhausted, so tired and so very afraid. She didn't even realize that she was whispering softly.

"Everything will be alright, it will be fine... you are going to be okay in no time... we will watch the stars together and you will tell me all about the constellations... please, Pitch... hang in there."

She could barely keep her eyes open but her fears and doubts and exhaustion were making her head spin.

What was happening to her? Why was she so afraid for this evil man, who had threatened her friends, who had almost killed North - twice, who had destroyed Katherine's precious memories, who had made her his prisoner, who had done so many horrible things... who had saved her life after Mother Nature had beaten her to an inch of it, who had kept her safe, who had shown her kindness that she had never expected, who had stepped into the line of fire to shield her... who had perhaps sacrificed himself for her...

How could this be? Wasn't he supposed to be evil and her enemy? What had happened? Right - the fearlings had happened, at least until she had stopped them from happening. She had seen him suffer and had realized, that she could not stand it. But now he was suffering again, and this time it was all her fault!

She should have headed straight back to earth the minute she had hauled him into that boat. If it had not been for her weakness, her desire to rest, none of this would have happened.

Her fingers tightened around his bony shoulder as she crouched low beside him. Believing him to be unconscious anyway, she rested her forehead against him. She felt really close to passing out.

But when he suddenly whispered her name, her head jerked back up with a start. His eyes were still closed but his face reflected such pain and fear...

"I'm right here" she whispered softly and bent down to him. He was trying to tell her something, she could see his lips move.

"Liz..." he breathed, his voice barely more than a whisper on the wind. "I'm... so scared."

Of all the things he had ever said to her, or could ever have told her, this was perhaps the most terrifying. His words chilled her heart and burnt her soul. They caused her to loose control and break down completely.

She buried her face in his shoulder and started crying. She had bottled it up for so long, but this had been the last straw. She could no longer contain herself.

She cried out of exhaustion, for her weakness, her despair, her crushed hopes, her complete and utter helplessness, for being so useless and incapable. She had tried so hard to save him - from the fearlings, from himself, from the Guardians, from his past and perhaps from his solitude.

She had worked so hard to get out here and now all her efforts seemed to have been in vain.

Melissa cried long and hard until she finally passed out from sheer exhaustion.

She could not tell how much time had passed when she awoke with a start. For a moment, she didn't even know where she was or why it was so dark. Then she realized, that she lay on the deck, huddled closely against the chest of the Nightmare King with her face buried in the folds of his robe.

And something was beating and knocking against their boat with force. She tried to get up, but something was stopping her. Pitch's arm was around her, holding her close.

Melissa gasped at this but then just pushed it away and struggled to her feet. A wave of dizziness washed over her as the boat rocked and swayed. Something beat against the hull of the vessel again and when she stumbled over to the railing, she realized that were flying over a forest of tall hemlocks and firs. The treetops kept beating and brushing against the small flying ship.

The girl let out a small voiceless yelp and hurried to the ropes to gain more altitude. Then she tried to figure out where she was. Something about these woods was familiar. Maybe it was the air. It smelled like home.

Flying slowly, she scanned the landscape below for any landmarks she might recognize and only moments later she realized with a start, that she had indeed come home. She could see the village where she had been born and raised not too far ahead, or at least what was left of it. The clearing was almost hidden by the dense forest around it, but Melissa knew the place too well to miss it.

Most of the huts had been burned to the ground, only a few were still more or less intact. She nodded to herself. This was as good a place to hide as any. They would be safe here for at least a little while.

She brought the boat down right in the middle of the clearing, the center of the once lively village and then pulled the sails in. It was broad daylight but the magnificent vessel was still providing sufficient darkness. That was a good sign. As long as the boat responded to his needs, she knew he was still alive.

Melissa crouched down next to Pitch's unmoving body and checked for signs of life anway, fearfully and hopefully at the same time. He was still breathing and she could feel his heart beating, slowly.

She sighed and nodded. If there was anything she could do, she would. If not, she would stay by his side until the end, no matter what. As long as he lived, she would not desert him, not for the wide world.

During the few hours that she had slept so soundly, her mind had somewhat accepted the fact that he might not make it. The thought still made her sad, but if it really came to this, at least his suffering would be over. And until then, she would not leave him. No one deserved to die alone. She would do whatever she could to ease his pain and make sure that if he died, it would be with a caring friend by his side.

But first, she had to get him off this boat and into one of the huts. She would have to find a place more comfortable for him than this hard deck. She looked around. Her old home was still standing. In fact, it looked better than most of the others.

She patted his shoulder gently. "Hang in there, my friend. I'll be right back for you."

With that, she hopped off the boat, and rushed for the house. She didn't want to leave him alone and unattended, but she had to check the place out first. The door was gone and spiderwebs hung around everywhere. The walls were black with soot and grime and most of the furniture was either broken or gone. She stood in the room, that had once been the kitchen. It was in ruins but Melissa simply shrugged. Instead she moved on quickly. There was the door to her old room and she looked inside. It was completely empty. Only a few shreds of tattered, burned curtain were still fluttering around the shattered window.

The girl closed the door and walked away to another one. This had once been her parents bedroom and when she looked inside a smile crept over her face. There were also signs of the fire, but the large bed where her parents once used to sleep was still there and it looked as if they had just left it.

Most of the other furniture was gone, but that didn't matter. She needed a place for her strange new friend to rest and hopefully recover. This would do nicely.

But how to get him here? He was unconscious! He could not walk and she would not be able to carry him. He was twice as tall as she was! And at least three times as heavy! Also, the sun was shining! She could not possibly expose him to that light.

The room too, was flooded with sunlight. The curtains had been completely burned away and he shutters were missing.

 _Crap... how do I get this room dark? Oh yes! Right!... The sails!_

She was back on the boat within seconds and after checking on Pitch, she went straight to work. She brought the ship as close as possible to the hut before she started foraging the sails. And as she did, another idea came into her mind. That bit of sleep had really done wonders on her and she felt more alive and full of energy than ever.

"Just hang in there, Pitch" she whispered. "I'll get you out of here in a minute and to a much more comfortable place. And then I promise, I won't leave you alone ever again."

And Melissa stayed true to her word. She took the sails and wrapped them around the Nightmare King, she rolled him over on top of them and made sure not to touch his injured back. Then she broke down the ship. At least a bit. She brought down the railing where it was closest to the door of her old home. She would not be able to just lift his body over it. It was not easy but she had taken more than enough tools from his workshop to get the job done.

It took her a few minutes and then she dragged him off the boat, pulling at the canvas around him. He was not nearly as heavy as she had expected. That fact made it a lot easier to move him, but it also made her worry more. It made her wonder how much time he had left and if she could actually do anything to help him at all.

The black sails she had wrapped around him shielded him from the light as she pulled him the last few meters across the frost covered clearing and into the house. She dragged her large bundle into her parents bedroom and then removed one of the sails, careful to keep him covered with the rest of them.

It had taken her a while to realize it, and even longer to accept the fact that she really liked him. No matter how scary and cruel he could be, he still had a human heart somewhere inside of him. A heart that was still beating.

She scurried through the house, lifting up several floorboards. Her parents had had a habit of storing important things beneath there. She found a lot of useful things the Cossack pillagers had missed, amongst them a salve her mother had prepared what seemed ages ago. It was good for a whole lot of injuries. She would try and use it later. Perhaps it would help. But right now she needed something different.

She peeked into another secret stash and nodded. There was her fathers old tool box containing all kinds of things. Amongst them a hammer, a real one, one she could actually handle, and nails. She used those to attach the sail to the window and soon the room was dark.

Melissa didn't mind. She had gotten used to the lack of light in those caves. She was now quite comfortable with it. She almost dreaded the task at hand however. She would have to untangle Pitch from those remaining sails and get him onto the bed without hurting him more.

And she had wrapped him up good. She could not feel the warmth of his pale right side when she touched the bundle of fabric she had left on the floor. Biting her lower lip nervously she unwrapped him slowly and carefully, afraid of what she might find.

But when she was done, she actually smiled... painfully though. He was still alive. He was breathing but he was in pain. She could see that clearly. It was written all over him, even though his face was quite peaceful. His body however kept tensing and relaxing, over and over. He was trembling and he was cold.

The girl braced herself and then wrapped her arms around him. With all the strength she could summon, she pulled him up onto the bed and then carefully took of his robe. His back looked terrible. His normally graphite skin was blistered and silvery gray where the missile had hit him and the "infected" area was larger than she had thought. It looked as if it was spreading!

 _Oh gods.. that really must hurt... what can I do? Can I do anything at all? Can I do more than sit here and watch him die?_

Melissa felt her eyes burning again but then she simply reached out and gently stroked a few strands of ebony hair from his face.

"Don't you dare die on me, Pitch" she whispered sternly. "Don't you dare leave me alone."

She pulled the remaining sails over him and covered him in them up to the neck in a rather motherly fashion before she dashed off to get that salve. She had no idea if it would help, but she had to try. Her mother had made it after all and she knew from experience that it was good.

Moments later she was back, sitting on the side of the bed applying the medicine that she knew was made of goat fat and several herbs that could heal an inflammation. But she had no idea if it would help against this.

She rubbed it onto his blistered skin anyway, hoping for the best, but cringed when she heard Pitch groan in pain at the mere touch.

"I am so sorry, but this is supposed to be good for you" she whispered soothingly. "It might just stop this thing from spreading."

She rubbed it in as gently as she could but Pitch was still writhing in pain and she stopped. She wanted to spare him any more of this and sighed. She had however covered most of the injury and now just sat there without a clue what to do.

A bit of light still came in though the open door but not enough to cause any harm. It allowed her to see just about enough. The strange injury was not getting any better. It was still spreading and Pitch was still unconscious. Melissa was almost grateful for that. At least he was not aware of what was happening to him.

But she had no means to save him. He had stopped shivering however and didn't seem to be in so much pain anymore. But now, with nothing else to do, Melissa felt her own fear returning with force.

She was kneeling next to him on her parents old bed and had no idea what to do but simply stroke his shoulder as she had done before, after those attacks from the fearlings, when he had been dreaming...

At least those monsters were not here.

Time passed and she was still sitting there, unmoving, frozen with her hand on Pitch's shoulder. Outside the sun had begun to set.

 _Perhaps I should just take that dagger and drive it through his heart... it would all be over. He would not have to suffer anymore... but I can't. I can't give up hope. I can't do it. I don't want to be alone..._

As it grew dark, Melissa made herself more comfortable. She laid down beside him and wrapped her arms around him, trying to keep him warm. She never thought she would actually hug the man who had taken her captive and had done so many horrible things, but now... everything was just so very different and she felt like he was the only friend she had left in the world.

Katherine might have understood her motives, she thought. But the others? The Guardians? Would she ever be able to go back there? To Santoff Claussen? Or Nicholas' new city at the North Pole? Would they still accept her after what she had done? Or would they see her as an enemy? They had after all opened fire on her.

She felt so lost and alone, and the only person she could still trust was dying in her arms. She might as well die with him.

Melissa hugged him tighter and drifted off into an uneasy doze.

She had no idea how long she had been lying there when a flicker of light caught her attention. For a moment she thought that she was dreaming. She had to be dreaming for sure. It was dark. The middle of the night in fact. But that butterfly looked so real.

It was blue, dark blue in fact, almost like her eyes but it was not like any butterfly she had ever seen. It was emitting a strange, unearthly glow and the dark room suddenly smelled of flowers, spring flowers. Melissa felt a soft breeze washing over her cheeks.

The girl stared. This had to be a dream.

 _There are no Butterflies like this... not in the night... And there are certainly none that glow..._

But the fragile creature fluttered around the room and then flew towards her and and the Nightmare King with a purpose.

Melissa hugged Pitch more tightly around the shoulders, avoiding the painful injury on his back, but the butterfly headed straight for it. She lifted herself on her elbow and watched in fascination.

She gasped when it landed right in the center of that terrible wound... and instantly dissolved into thin air as if it had never been there, leaving only a few sparkling, glowing fragments that glittered for a moment and then disappeared as well. Pitch drew a deep breath and Melissa struggled to sit up and look at his back.

The blistered, silvery skin was slowly smoothing and beginning to turn back to graphite gray. The injury was healing as she watched. But how? _Who?_

Who could have done this? Melissa was grateful and relieved beyond reason but she was equally surprised, dumbfounded even.

 _A butterfly? How could an insect do this... unless..._

She sat up straight with a gasp. _Her!_

Melissa let go of Pitch and struggled to get off the bed, her eyes wide. She stumbled for the front door and outside staring around and then up at the sky. It had to be her!

A strange wind was blowing and Melissa recognized the scent in the air.

"Mother Nature?" she whispered.

But there was no reply. The Queen mother of Nature, Pitch's daughter did not show herself but the girl knew she was close by.

"You saved him" she whispered in awe. "And I thought you truly hated him... I am sorry … I am so sorry I said all those mean things to you. I was wrong... but I am so very grateful. Thank you, thank you so much."

There was merely another gust of wind and then everything was quiet. Nothing more than a chilly Siberian autumn night. But Melissa was happy, happy and incredibly relieved. She rushed back into her parents bedroom and climbed up onto the bed.

"Pitch?" she whispered but he did not reply. He was still unconscious but his back was healing quickly. The injury was almost gone and he was breathing evenly.

The dark-haired girl felt happier than she ever had in her short life. Now all she had to do was to keep him safe from any possible attack. But it was unlikely to happen. The Guardians were probably still with the Man in the Moon and far away. But she could not know for sure.

So she pulled up the only remaining chair and sat down in the middle of the ruined kitchen facing the nonexistent front door with her precious dagger unsheathed, ready to fight any foe that might show up.

(Review pretty please ^^)


	13. Chapter 13

When Pitch finally woke, he found himself in the strangest place, one he was not at all familiar with. He was lying on a bed inside an empty room. There where scorch marks on the walls and the air was heavy with the smell of rotting wood and decay. He didn't like it.

He sat up and looked around, confused and slightly disoriented. There was a door and behind it he could see another room. He listened and could hear the sound of someone breathing softly. He pushed himself up and swung his legs over the bedside. That's when he realized that his robe was gone.

Pitch got to his feet and felt a bit unsteady, dizzy even.

 _What is this place? It's dreadful... why am I here? And where is... ah there!_

He picked up his robe from the foot-end of the bed, where Melissa had left it but when he started to put it on he noticed the hole in the back. It took him a few moments until the memory of what had happened returned. He remembered the Moon, the Guardians, who had caught and cornered and finally almost killed him.

The Nightmare King ran his fingers over his face and through his hair as the memories slowly came back to him. He remembered the nightmare longboat and Melissa and then the attack, the pain of being struck by something so powerful, he could hardly believe that he was still alive. He moved his shoulder blades carefully and could still feel a dull ache, but besides that he was fine.

Pitch also remembered the pain clearly and the fear. He had been so certain of his death – and not just once. For all he knew, he should have died, twice actually. But both times that girl had somehow managed to save him. He knew she was in that room next door and by the sound of her breathing, she was probably asleep.

He dressed himself quickly, not caring much for the hole and then left the bedroom to find his young savior.

She was sitting in an old, wooden chair facing the open door that led outside. In fact, he realized, there was no door left and she just sat there like a guard. The fact that she had dozed off made him grin. He covered the distance quickly and bent down to look at her face.

She was asleep but he could tell that she had probably just nodded off minutes ago. Then however he caught sight of something that made him gasp. There was something lying in her lap and he recognized it instantly.

 _That dagger! Why does she have it? And what on earth has she done with it? It looks... different._

Her fingers were around the hilt but he removed it from her grip as gently as he could, careful not to wake her. Then he took a close look at the blade. It did look marvelous, sparkling like a starry night sky. But he could not imagine what had happened to it. When he ran a dark finger over the blade however, he almost dropped it. It burnt.

"Ouch!" he hissed and grit his teeth. Somehow she had infused this thing with some sort of light. But how? And why? For what reason? Had she actually planned to attack him with that?

Pitch shook his head. That couldn't be. She wouldn't! She had saved his life! Twice! No, perhaps even three times within the last few hours. But why?

It was beyond his reasoning but this weapon was no longer his to wield. He knew the child would not attack him. So he might as well let her have it. He stuck it into her belt and then lifted her carefully out of the chair. She was cold and shivering slightly from the frosty air, but he carried her into the bedroom and put her down on the soft mattress, tucking her in, covering her with those soft black sheets. It made him feel very odd indeed but it wasn't a bad feeling. In fact it was strangely elating and distantly familiar.

The moment he let go of her, she awoke with a little start. She blinked a few times and stared up into his face.

"Pitch?" she whispered almost fearfully.

He wasn't sure what to say but simply nodded.

"Are you... alright? Are you feeling better?" She sounded so worried, it made the Nightmare King feel so very awkward yet again.

"I'm fine" he sighed finally. "You should get some rest. I, on the other hand, have really slept more than enough."

With that he turned around to leave.

"Slept?" the girl gasped in silent outrage and sat up straight. "You were unconscious! I thought I'd loose you!"

He stopped dead in his tracks but could not bring himself to look at her. He took a deep breath and then another one.

"Loose... me _?_ " He wondered quietly.

 _Why? Why is she saying something like this? And why does it make my chest hurt so much?_

He placed a hand over his heart, thinking that it was probably the sore spot where he had been hit with that golden stuff. But then he realized, that it was actually his heart beating against his ribcage with the force of a battering ram, as if it was suddenly too large for his chest and was trying to break out of it.

"You haven't" he said finally and took another step towards the door, but then he stopped again despite his urge to get away. "But how did you do it?" he asked with an effort.

Melissa stared at his back. She could see the hole in his robes and his fully healed gray skin beneath.

"Do what?" she breathed.

"Why am I alive?" he asked more forcefully than he had intended, but he had no real control over his voice right now. "I remember what happened. I know I should not have survived this. So why am I still here? How did you do it?"

He had actually turned around now and was glaring at her, as if accusing her of something. Then he felt sorry almost instantly when Melissa stared down at her feet that were dangling from the side of the bed a few inches above the floor. She looked rather desperate. But when she answered, her reply was not what he had expected to hear.

"I didn't" she admitted. "I wanted to, really. I tried everything. But I had no idea what to do. I was so sure you were a goner..."

"If it wasn't you, then who?" he interrupted her trying to keep his voice calm.

"I... I think it was _her_." She looked up at him, at his chest.

"Her?" Pitch repeated uncomprehendingly. Then, when he noticed her gaze and how she was unconsciously touching her left shoulder, he looked down on himself. There was a small lump from the locket he wore underneath his robe.

" _Her?_ " he said again and shook his head in disbelief. "Impossible! She'd never! She hates me! You've heard her, haven't you? She's probably itching to end me herself!"

The girl nodded and grimaced at the mere memory but she held his gaze. Something about his face was different, she realized, but could not quite lay her finger on it.

"I think she lied" she said simply. "Not only to you, but to herself as well."

Pitch frowned at this and came a few steps closer again. "She did sound pretty darn sincere to me!" he hissed, his voice was dripping with venom. He was quite scary to behold but Melissa understood by now that he was simply trying to mask his own pain that way.

And the Nightmare King knew it too. He had no desire to yell at this child, who had done so much for him. But this was something he could not believe or comprehend.

"I know what I saw" Melissa whispered quietly. "And I can't think of anyone else who could have done this."

Pitch's angry frown disappeared and he just stared at her blankly for a few long seconds. Then he sighed and sat down beside her.

"What _did_ you see?"

Melissa shrugged and told him.

"A butterfly..." he whispered then and rubbed his temples. Could it really have been her?

The girl nodded again. "A dark blue, _glowing_ butterfly! In the middle of the night!" she pointed out. "And when I ran outside the air smelled different. As if spring was coming." She shook her head slowly as if she could not believe it herself. But then Pitch could hear her grind her teeth. "I'm _sure_ it was her and now I feel like a complete jerk for yelling at her and saying all those nasty things."

The Nightmare King studied her face and then sighed inaudibly.

"You would not be willing to finally tell me about that, would you?" he asked carefully, knowing that they had had this conversation several times already. She had never told him a thing and he was sure that she would probably remind him now, that he had lost their little bet in the obervatory and had no right to his price.

Melissa shook her head again. "You still want to know that?"

"You know I do."

"Well, as you said, I heard your conversation, most of it. It really did upset me, it made me so angry. I didn't understand how she could talk to you like this!" She ground her teeth again, wondering if she was doing the right thing.

Then however, she simply and matter-of-factly recited what she remembered from the argument. But she avoided looking at him. She didn't want to see his reaction. She didn't want to see the blow coming.

But Pitch did not interrupt her. He simply listened and watched her. He had suspected something like this. He had heard his daughter quite clearly - her rage, her hatred. But hearing the plain truth from that girl was something different. Not the fact that she had actually taken his side, even then. But the way she was suddenly opening up to him and telling him what he had so wanted to know without as much as an argument was rather unsettling.

But he understood some of her more recent actions now. They were both familiar with the concept of loss but had very different ways to deal with it. In his case, it had turned him into a raging lunatic. He didn't remember how it had happened, but somehow he knew that he had not always been like this. In Melissa's case, the loss of her family had made her a lot more perceptive of other people's feelings. It had made her more compassionate and understanding.

And that must be the reason why she actually cared about him. She understood the reasons for his actions and even though she probably knew what he had done in the past, she seemed quite willing to forgive him.

She even admitted that she had felt sorry for him! This confession actually stung him, but he said nothing. Perhaps a week ago a statement such as this would have antagonized him, it would have made him mad, but after all that had happened, he simply shrugged it off. How could he possible be angry with this gentle, little human being?

When Melissa finally stopped talking neither of them said a word for a long time. Pitch was lost in thoughts but Melissa was rather tense and edgy. She still didn't dare to look up. Would he be angry? She was quite sure that she had just told him quite a few things that would upset him. And some of them must have hurt him too. What would he do with her now? The Pitch she knew would see the mere idea that a child had stood up for him in this manner as an insult. But she had also witnessed a change in him and now she really had no idea what to expect. And this uncertainty was scarier than any of his past tantrums.

She hadn't been afraid of the Nightmare King in what seemed like a long time. But right now she was quite frightened.

 _I shouldn't have told him. Why did I do this? I should have just kept my mouth shut about this... what if..._

Melissa nearly jumped out of her skin, when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Why are you afraid?" he asked quietly.

She could feel her heart racing in the back of her throat as she tried to calm down and breathe normally again. But she felt really shaky right now.

"Are you... aren't you angry?" she stammered. Her sweaty hands were clutching the folds of the midnight black poncho she was still wearing. When he didn't answer, she finally dared to look up and saw him shaking his head.

"Not really" he finally said. "But I appreciate that you told me."

Melissa stared at him. He didn't look angry either, just a bit sad and perhaps tired. Then she suddenly sat up straight and frowned deeply.

"What... what happened to your eyes?" she asked and pulled up her legs under herself and got onto her knees to get a better look.

Pitch backed away from her in surprise. "What are you talking about?" he gasped but the girl had been quicker. She had forgotten all about her fear and before the Nightmare King could get out of reach, she had grabbed both of his shoulders and stared into his eyes intently.

Now _this_ was really awkward, Pitch had to admit. The girl's face was a mere inch away from his, her deep blue eyes sparkling with worry and curiosity at the same time. She looked at him with such a scrutinizing gaze, as if she had just discovered a rare or new species of beetle.

"They look... different" she said then. And they did. They used to be as black as coal but now, she could swear she could see a glimmer of pale gold underneath. It was very odd indeed.

"That's ridiculous!" Pitch argued and pushed her hands away from him.

"No, really! They do look different!" she insisted. "Can you see alright?"

"Never better!" he huffed. "I can see clearly, that _you_ are out of your mind."

With that he stood up and quickly left the room.

 _Now that was weird... there's nothing wrong with my eyes... why would they look different? Ridiculous... maybe I should find a mirror somewhere and take a look for myself._

He stepped into the ruins of the kitchen and headed towards the front door, hoping that the girl would simply go back to sleep. Then he went outside and looked up at the dark sky. There would be perhaps another hour or two until sunrise.

Pitch took a deep breath of cold night air and scanned the area. There were other buildings, but they looked even worse than the one he had just emerged from. This whole place had been burnt to the ground. It made him wonder once again where he was and why. Then he saw the boat. He recognized it. He was sure it had once belonged to him. He could distantly remember flying on a craft like this, one much bigger. This was merely a lifeboat.

 _It's been there all this time and I never noticed... shame on me._

He shook his head at this thought and then sighed when he heard Melissa's light footsteps approaching him from behind.

"What is this place?" he asked simply.

The girl shrugged but Pitch was not watching her. He kept looking at the boat.

"I was born here" she whispered. "I used to live her until..."

The Nightmare King looked around to her with a frown. "What happened?"

"A Cossack raid happened. They killed everyone, burnt everything... only my father and I made it out alive." Her whisper was firm and didn't betray her emotions, but her eyes did.

"Your mother?"

"Didn't make it."

Pitch actually felt a pang of guilt for even asking. Why had she brought him here of all places? It must hurt her to see all this. The memories of this place.

"Why are we here?" he asked.

"Coincidence" she said and shrugged again. "We needed a place to lay low for a while and this one was close by. I knew there would be no one here."

He nodded and felt the urge to ask her about her father, but he didn't. He had seen it in her nightmare and he really didn't want to remind her and cause her more pain.

And then, like an echo of his thoughts the howling started. It was loud and he could tell they were close. The sound even sent a chill up his spine but then he looked around in shock.

 _Liz! … Her greatest fear!_

The girl stood rooted to the spot, her face pale and her eyes wide with terror. The stench of her fear nearly made him swoon.

But he didn't hesitate. He reached her with two long strides and tried to get her to move. "Time to go!" he urged her on, but she was like frozen and would not budge. Pitch simply scooped her up under his arm and headed for the boat.

This brought Melissa back to her senses. "No, wait! Where are you going?" she gasped.

"The boat!"

"No, no... it won't fly!" she yelped and struggled but he didn't let go of her.

"Why is that?" he asked however.

"Because I had to take the sails!" she whimpered silently.

"Drat it!" Pitch cursed, turned around and started running back to the house. He could see the luminous eyes of the pack in the shadows beneath the trees. They were coming.

He rushed into the building, through the kitchen, kicking obstacles out of his path as he did, and back into the bedroom where he slammed the door shut, leaving the room in complete darkness. He lowered the girl to her feet.

She almost yelped again, when he pulled her close to himself. "Hold on to me as tightly as you can!" he ordered. He could hear the beasts in the house. He could hear them growling and sniffing and then a furry shape came jumping in through the window. He could see it tearing through the dark sail that covered it.

But a moment later they were both gone from the place.

She was still clinging to him with all her might and he could feel her tremble. She had not even noticed what had happened. Pitch almost smiled at this but then he placed both hands on her shoulders.

"You can let go now. We are safe, look" he said as soothingly as he could.

Melissa swallowed and cracked her eyes open carefully. Then her yaw dropped nearly all the way to the floor of the cavern.

"We... we are back here... but how?" she stammered, barely able to believe it.

Pitch grinned down at her. "It has it's perks to be me" he explained simply and moved out of the shadows and into the flickering bluish light of his workshop. Melissa followed him as waves of relief washed over her.

"Thanks" she breathed. Pitch didn't look back at her, but she could hear him chuckle.

Then however she stopped dead in her tracks. Only now did she realize that the place was crowded with fearlings. Pitch noticed them at the same time.

"Get out of here!" he said simply. "What are you doing here anyway? It's the middle of the night. So get out there and do your stuff. That's an order!" His voice had risen with every word. Something was wrong here.

The fearlings however didn't obey. A Moment ago,they had simply been hovering around in unorganised clumps but now they started swarming, preparing. Melissa knew what that meant. Pitch seemingly didn't but he did back away until he nearly bumped into her.

"Oh no..." Melissa whispered and pulled her dagger from her belt. "Not that again."

 _Again? Has this happened before?_

He looked up at his disobedient minions and had to admit that something about their behavior seemed familiar and it filled him with dread. Then when he realized that they were moving in to attack him - them for real, his eyes widened in shock.

 _Of course it happened... it has happened every single day!_

He looked down at Melissa in concern but noticed with a start that the girl didn't look afraid. Just really ticked off and determined. She held the dagger in her left hand and was rummaging through her pockets with the right one while she was glaring up at the shadowy creatures with nothing less than pure loathing in her eyes.

When he looked up and around again, the fearlings were already closing in. He could feel the first of them tugging at him, a wave of weakness washed over him and he staggered backwards. And that's when he remembered.

 _This feeling... I know it, I've felt it before... often... my nightmares!_

He looked up wide-eyed as one of them swooped down at the girl. Before he could even call out she brandished her dagger and the creature evaporated. But three more of them were already coming at her.

Ignoring his own weakness, he stumbled forward and pulled her close to him, dragging her down onto her knees.

"No!" she gasped. "No. Pitch! Let go!"

He didn't. He couldn't let this happen. Not to her. Not after all she had done for him. He had to protect her! But the fearlings seemed more interested in him anyway. He could feel their touch, their hunger, he felt them tearing at his very soul.

"Liz!" he yelped in complete and utter panic as he tried to shield her from them.

"Let go..." she hissed at him again and tried to push him away. She could not get a hold of the light bombs in her pocket if he kept pressing her arms down on her body like this. But then his grip loosened and he collapsed on top of her trembling violently.

"Hang in there! I've got this!"

"No... nooooo!" he screamed into her ear, causing them to ring with pain.

"Pitch listen to me for once in your life!" she nearly barked at him. "Close your eyes tightly! NOW!"

He had no idea what she was up to, but he obeyed. He knew he could trust this child... _with his life_. And then the world seemed to explode around him. He could feel the brightness on his skin and through his closed eyelids. But it didn't really hurt, it only stung a bit and it lasted only for a moment.

He could feel Melissa struggle underneath him and he dared to open his eyes again. But he was still a bit blinded and dazed from the sudden bright light.

"There..." she huffed angrily but her whisper was a bit shaky. "Show is over!"

He felt her arms around him trying to keep him from falling to the ground completely as she struggled to get him off her back. She was still crouching low on her knees but finally managed to get a firm hold on him and straighten her back.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she watched him blink a few times. Then he stared at her and the empty cave. He still felt awfully weak and he couldn't stop shivering but he nodded.

"They... are gone? What have you done? How?" he gasped shakily.

Melissa looked at him and then stared at the ground.

"I am sorry about your... pets" she sighed, knowing that she would have to share her secrets now. He would never just let this one go. "I'm afraid, I have to make a few more confessions and I believe you won't like them, but please, please don't get angry."

Pitch said nothing, at first. He simply placed a hand on her shoulder for support and pushed himself up. He wasn't sure if he could stand, but then he felt the girl's skinny arm beneath his shoulder as she helped him to do so.

For a moment, he thought he would black out and fall, but then he was forced down onto the bench behind him, next to the table where they had worked together days ago. When he looked up, he saw Melissa standing in front of him, looking worried and scared and she too was trembling slightly.

He managed a tiny smile. How could he ever be angry with her? "I promise" he said. "Come, sit and tell me everything."

She hesitated for a moment and then nodded. She allowed herself to slump down on the bench next to him and took a few Deep, steadying breaths.

"This feels awful" she admitted.

"Yeah, tell me about it" Pitch sighed as well. He remembered the last attack and suddenly he remembered so many others. He recalled the many times when he had awoken somewhere on the floor and had not been able to remember what had happened. Now he knew. Those nasty little buggers had been using him for snack all this time.

He shook the thought off and looked down at Melissa.

"Alright. Now... about those confessions..." he prompted her and she nodded. Pitch didn't see her face clearly, but he could tell that she was not happy with this.

"I've seen them attacking you the first day here. It was horrible. I thought they were killing you" she admitted and Pitch suddenly remembered her startled expression when he had awoken her in the evening.

She had barely been able to wrap her mind around the fact that he was alive. And she had also told him about the fearlings. He had not believed a word of it. He had laughed at her. Now, that he knew better, he felt strangely ashamed of himself.

"When we made those orbs... remember when I asked you about that silvery stuff in the jar? It was actually your idea to fill the orbs with that stardust-phosphor mixture. You said it wouldn't hurt you, but would be fatal to them. I thought that would perhaps come in handy. And so..."

"You filled those orbs with stardust. When?"

"The first one, when you left to find me something to eat" she admitted meekly. "I also took that lock-pick I showed you and nicked a rope from your shelves. I actually did intent to use them to run away... to be honest, but then I saw them fly into your room and I changed my mind."

"So you made quick work of them, like just now" Pitch reasoned as he slowly recovered from the attack.

The girl nodded. "I did. And then I came back here and made a few more. Just in case, they hadn't learned their lesson."

"Looks like they haven't."

"Looks like... While I was working, one of them surprised me. It attacked me and I ran over there" she pointed at the back of the workshop where the weapon racks stood. "I grabbed the first blade I could get my hands on to defend myself" She took out her dagger and showed it to him. Pitch simply nodded.

"But the thing didn't work. The fearling even laughed at me and told me that I could not fight darkness with darkness."

Pitch nodded again, he could have told her so himself, but he said nothing. He knew that this was where things would get real interesting.

"So I kept running with that beast on my tail. It was playing with me, like a cat with a mouse. It knew I could not get away and so did I. But then I had an idea. I made it back to the table and dipped the blade into that stardust stuff. And the next time the fearling came close enough, I finished it off easily enough."

Melissa chewed on her lip, nervously handling the dagger, turning it over and over as if lost in thoughts.

"I tried to clean the dagger after that, but the stuff did not come off. It seems to have fused with the blade somehow. I was afraid of putting it back. I was afraid you would notice and find out that I had been out of the cage."

"So you kept it" the Nightmare King said simply.

Melissa nodded guiltily and looked up at him. He could tell she was a bit afraid but she had no reason for that. He graced her with a small grin.

"You really are quite resourceful, I have to admit. And don't look at me like that. I promised I wouldn't get angry, remember?"

She nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry" she whispered again.

"What for?" he asked sounding truly surprised.

"For killing your minions" she breathed. "I know, there are probably more than I can count anyway. But believe me, please... I was only trying to help you."

"Thank you" he said blandly causing Melissa to look up at him with such a dumbfounded expression on his face that Pitch nearly laughed at her.

"I mean it. I am grateful for what you did. Really! I appreciate your intentions" he assured her but then looked down at his hands with a sigh. Now he finally understood why he had felt so different the last few nights. Everything had seemed so much clearer to him.

He realized why this awful nightmare he had been going through each and every day had suddenly changed, or rather just stopped before it had even really started. She had interfered. Melissa had stopped them, she had spared him hours of agony. And for that he truly was grateful.

"Pitch?" she asked suddenly in a rather timid whisper and he looked around at her. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded and watched her curiously.

"Why are you even keeping those creepy fiends around?" she asked carefully. This was something she had been wondering about for a long time.

"They have their uses..." he shrugged.

Melissa sighed and managed an almost sarcastic smirk. "Seems to me like you have your uses for them."

For a moment, Pitch glared at her for this impudence but then simply sighed. She had a point after all. There was no need for him to get mad at her just because she said what she was thinking.

"But honestly" she added. "Why them? I mean... I don't know how much truth there is to it, but according to Bunnymund it was fearlings and dream pirates who killed your family. Why keep them around? Or even team up with them?"

The Nightmare King stared at her blankly for a second or two. Then his eyes became mere slits and he frowned deeply.

" _What?"_

"I'm sorry" she whispered quickly. "I know, this is really none of my business, but I've been wondering about this for a while now. And it makes no sense to me. It's like I would run off with those Cossack's who murdered my mother or join that pack of wolves that killed and ate my father right before my eyes... it just doesn't feel right... to me it would feel like treason!"

She bit her lip and looked away. She had not meant to say this, but it had just slipped out and now she could not take it back.

Melissa was just about to whisper another apology when she felt Pitch's hand on her shoulder again, not too gently this time though, he forced her to turn around and look at him.

"Who told you this?" he asked harshly and the girl winced at the anger in his voice. His grip was so tight it hurt.

"Bunnymund did" Melissa gasped in surprise and sudden fear. "The Pooka..."

"Is it true?" he interrupted her. "Is _any_ of this _true_?" he almost yelled and the girl could tell, that he was truly enraged now.

"I don't know... he didn't know it for sure" she whimpered in silent pain and fright, her eyes were burning. "He said he'd heard rumors but he wasn't sure... ouch. Pitch, please... you are hurting me."

At this the Nightmare King suddenly realized what he was doing and he let go of her instantly, he almost pushed her away. He stared at her in total shock, there were tears in her eyes... he had hurt her! He had made her cry! Pitch looked almost as scared as her.

"Oh gods, Liz... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to..."

She had barely overcome her shock from hearing him thanking her, and now an apology? And she could tell that it truly came from his heart. It made her forget what had just happened and brought a small smile to her face. But she was still quite startled too.

"It... it's alright" she stammered and wiped her eyes. "I shouldn't have asked."

"Yes... no... I mean..." he wrung his hands in despair. "It's just that..." his voice dropped to a whisper. "I had no idea! I don't remember any of this!"

Melissa stared at him. He was so agitated, so confused. The mere idea of what she had just suggested seemed to shock him like a bolt of lightning.

She stood up to face him but he tried to back away from her, as if afraid...

 _Is he afraid... of me?_

He wasn't. Pitch was afraid of what he had just done, he was afraid that he might do it again, that he would not be able to control his temper. And he was afraid of the possibility that what she had told him might be true. But not of her.

Yet he still held out his hands defensively as she approached him. Melissa hesitated for a moment but then simply took them both and looked into his wide eyes, they looked so different. Even more so than before.

"Pitch, calm down, please. I had no idea either. I thought you'd know something about this."

The Nightmare King tried to pull away, but then simply gaped at her as if hypnotized. He could see the reflection of his own eyes in her deep blue ones.

"You really don't remember..." Melissa whispered sadly, more to herself than to him, but she didn't look away.

It was Pitch, who finally averted his eyes, shaking his head and pulling his hands out of hers.

"I don't know anything... scraps perhaps... or I remember, that I used to remember something once... ages ago" he whispered, his voice just as low as hers.

The girl said nothing but sat down again, right beside him. Her shoulder brushed against his arm, but she really didn't mind now. This was not the Nightmare King she had encountered in Punjam Hy Loo, this was not the man who had taken away her best friends memories in cold blood and had laughed about it.

Right now, all she saw was someone completely lost and confused, as if he had within an instant lost his purpose in life. And maybe he had.

 _Bull... that's insane! And even if... he can always decide on a new one... he is free to decide who he want's to be, right?_

Melissa bit her lip. She had killed those fearlings because she could not stand the way they had been hurting him. She could not stand to see anyone suffer, not even him. But it seemed that her actions had a much greater effect than she had ever anticipated.

"I think I lied to her, too" Pitch rambled on, unaware of the girl's thoughts. He had started talking and now could not stop himself. Melissa knew instantly who he was talking about.

"Back in that forest... I told her that I had never forgotten her... but I think, I might have. I think I didn't even remember ever having a child... or a family, except for those shadows. Only when I saw her picture in that locket... I recognized her face. I knew she was... had been mine... once. And I knew she was gone."

Melissa still said nothing. She simply listened without looking up. She was afraid that if she did, he would stop talking. And she didn't want him to stop. She wanted him to go on and help her understand. And he did without her having to ask.

"Before I had this..." he touched that lump under his robe, the locket "I didn't ever wonder if there had been something before all of this. But now, I wish I knew who I once was. I want to know about her... but I don't even remember her name, can you imagine this?" he actually looked down at Melissa, who felt his gaze and looked up.

 _Drat it, he is hurting again... and there's nothing I can do...why did I have to bring that topic up?_

"My own child... and I don't even know her name... and I wish I did. I _want_ to remember... but it is like I don't even know who _I_ am anymore!" He clenched his fists, trying to regain control of himself.

But when he felt the girl's small hand on his shoulder, he simply dropped them into his lap and looked at her.

"It's not your fault" she whispered but he merely huffed at her.

"Of course it is, it has to be!"

"I've been thinking ..." she continued, deciding to ignore that last comment. "I have seen those fearlings attack you. But I had no idea what they were actually doing to you. All I saw that they were really hurting you. But now I have a hunch, that they were doing a lot more than just cause you to pass out and have nightmares."

Pitch gasped at this. He was quite sure that his horrible dreams were related to those attacks now, but what did that child know about it? How did she even know he had them?

"What if they had been doing this to you all this time? Like... forever... I mean... perhaps they sucked out your memories and made you forget who you are."

He watched her through squinted eyes, but wondered about the way her mind worked. So simple and yet so... shrewd. But why would those monsters be interested in his memories?

"It would have made it easier for them to control you, right? If you didn't remember your past..."

"Control me?" he scowled at her, a bit of his pride returning. "You've got to be out of your mind. I am … was... their King! I was in charge!" But even as he said the words, he wondered if that was true.

Melissa shrugged and held up her hands in a calming gesture. "It's just a theory" she admitted. "But I can't get rid of the feeling, that you are a lot more in charge now. At least you are more aware of what is going on, right?"

 _Right again... damned child. Why does she always have to spit the truth right into my face?_

He sighed and then suddenly smiled to himself.

 _Right, she said she had that bad habit of speaking her mind..._

Why was he smiling? Melissa wondered in surprise and confusion. Had she said something amusing?

"What is so funny all of a sudden?" she asked carefully but Pitch's grin only widened and he shook his head.

"Nothing, Liz... nothing... really. But perhaps you should stop thinking for a while and get some rest" he suggested. "To be honest with you, you look bushed."

The girl couldn't help but agree with him. She was tired and exhausted and not just that. She was really hungry too. But it was hard for her to stop pondering, once she had started. She could not stop her mind once it had started working with such intensity. She could not just turn it off.

"Come on" Pitch said and got up. She obeyed silently and followed him across the room until he turned left and headed for his own room. She continued on towards her cage.

Pitch noticed her footsteps moving away and turned around.

"You still want to sleep in that cage?" he wondered. It didn't feel right. He could not possibly consider her a prisoner after all of this. She could have fled, she had had every opportunity to get away.

 _Heavens! She had a flying boat, she could have gone anywhere she wanted!_

She looked back at him over her shoulder, spinning the small piece of metal between her fingers.

"What were _you_ thinking?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I was thinking that this looks awfully uncomfortable" he shrugged.

"I'm used to sleeping in the wilds, Pitch" she replied seriously. "I don't care how uncomfortable it is as long as it is fearling-proof. But you are welcome to join me in there if you like."

And for one shameful moment, he was almost tempted... almost. Then his pride kicked in and told him off for being a coward. He shook his head.

"I appreciate the offer" he said however. "But no, thanks."

"You sure?" Melissa whispered doubtfully.

"Absolutely" he assured her, but didn't sound quite as convinced as he wished.

She bit her lip and wondered how long she would be able to stay awake. What if she dozed off and missed the next attack. And she was sure it would come. Her hand was in her pocket once again, searching for her not so secret anymore weapons. There was only one left and she wasn't going to take any risks with those pests. She turned around fully and marched over to her new friend with a purpose.

"Then at least take this, just in case" she held one of the small orbs out to him, and Pitch nearly jumped like a panicked rabbit in shock at the mere sight.

"Are you crazy?" he yelped, still stumbling away from her. Melissa could only watch him with her mouth slightly open. "What are you playing at, girl? This thing is filled with stardust and phosphor. What do you think would happen to me, if this went off in my hand?"

She studied him for a moment and then shrugged. "Nothing, as long as you use your _right_ hand" she offered and watched him with a smirk.

He stared at her, then at his pale right hand, considering that option. After a few seconds he relaxed visibly. Ever since this had happened to him, when he had tried to turn this glowing boy into one of his, he had thought of this "injury" as a weakness. But now it seemed that this depended on the point of view.

He had hidden it, refused to even look at it or use it unless it was necessary, it had grown stiff and a bit clumsy due to the lack of use. But the girl had a point. Perhaps he could really use this to his advantage. Pitch looked up and cocked his head at her with a curious glint in his strange eyes.

"So?" she asked. "What are you thinking?"

He approached her and held out his dark left hand. Melissa looked up at him doubtfully and then at the orb in her hand.

"Not that" he said however. "Your dagger."

"My … my what? Why?" she breathed but he prompted her with a gesture to hand it over.

Finally she shrugged and did as she was bidden. She handed it to him hilt first and he took it carefully, inspecting it once again and then he gingerly touched the blade itself with his right hand, ready to pull away instantly.

Melissa watched his face as handled the small weapon. He looked really tense for a moment, but as he ran his pale fingers over the blade he relaxed a bit. His eyes were sparkling somehow, there was a trace of wonder in them.

He felt nothing, no pain, no burning, only the smooth, cold surface.

 _Maybe it's not a weakness after all... but an opportunity!_

He had to be careful anyway. The blade was devilishly sharp.

 _Comes close to a miracle that she hasn't hurt herself on it yet. Perhaps I should get her a sheath for it. On the other hand, she'll probably want to make it herself._

He nodded and handed it back to her.

"This might just work... but only if I manage to stay awake" he added with a frown. "But I actually doubt that they will show up again tonight."

"You think so?" Melissa was seriously doubting that. "It was almost morning when we got back here."

"Wrong" he smiled. "It was morning in western Siberia, but here it is still in the middle of the night."

Melissa stared as the meaning of his words began to dawn on her. "Where is _here?_ "

"The closest exit is that valley out there, and that is located in North America" Pitch admitted and watched the girl's expression change from confusion into one of complete amazement.

"America..." she breathed. "Wow!" She had never imagined that. But the mere idea made her feel strange. She was so far away from any place she had ever called home.

"I know" Pitch said sympathetically and placed an hand on her shoulder. "I will explain it to you later. Now, you really should get some sleep. Come!"

He walked her back to the cage and watched Melissa as she locked herself in.

"Are you really sure, you don't want to share?" she asked with a slight smirk.

The Nightmare King shrugged and returned the expression. "I would have shared, but not this. I don't take well to being locked up."

"I'm not locked up. I am just locking things that I can't stand out!" Melissa reminded him wisely, dangling her makeshift key in front of his eyes.

"Good thing you still have this" he sighed. "Because my key is gone."

"Gone?" Melissa frowned at him through the bars. "You lost it?"

Pitch shook his head. "I'll tell you later" he said and walked away towards his own quarters. The girl watched him walk over to the controls that would lift her cage up.

"Wait! Please don't!" she hissed and he looked around at her.

"Afraid of heights?" he wondered.

"No, silly! The rope I used to get out of here is still on the boat! Please leave it like this, just in case."

Pitch understood. She wanted to be ready for the fearlings, even though he had the last one of her nasty little explosives in his right pocket now.

He smiled back at her and nodded. It was good to have someone watching his back and he knew, they would both sleep lightly. Then he turned away and walked off to his private quarters. Melissa watched him go until she could not see him anymore.

"Good night, Pitch" she whispered as she laid down on her furs.

"Good night, Melissa" she heard a soft whisper out of the darkness. She smiled at this and made herself comfortable. But no matter how tired her body was, her mind was still wide awake and she pondered about the things that had happened.

She had had doubts when she had followed him and the Guardians out into space. But now she knew, she had done the right thing. She had done what the Man in the Moon had told her to do... back at the Lunar Lamadary. She had followed her heart and it was really paying off.

That Nightmare King was nowhere as evil as the stories had painted him. She could now well imagine that he must have been a wonderful father once. She thought about Katherine and all the other children in Santoff Claussen. It had been great there and she loved them all. They had accepted her without ifs or buts. She thought of Katherine as the sister she had never had, a soul-mate perhaps and she liked all the others the same way, especially Fog, who had shown such talent at reading her sign language. She had had so much fun there.

But this place wasn't so bad either and she knew that her friends could do without her. They didn't need her as much as Pitch did. And somewhere, on the edge of sleep she knew that she needed him too. Even as she dozed off, she knew that her place was here. She was at home.

 _I wasn't able to save my parents... but perhaps... just perhaps... I can save him..._


	14. Chapter 14

**Earlier, back on the Moon...**

The observatory inside the Moon was in an uproar. The Guardians had finally arrived. Ombric, North, Bunnymund and Queen Toothiana were all talking at the same time. The Man in the Moon was trying to calm them down.

"Have you seen this?" a thoroughly distressed North wailed. "It wasn't dream pirates, Tsar Lunar! It was Melissa! One of our own! She is new to us... but I never thought she'd..."

"She didn't" Manny assured him. "She has not changed sides!"

"But she saved the Nightmare King!" Toothiana argued. Her colorful plumage was ruffled with nervous excitement.

"And he tried to protect her in turn and got fried" Bunnymund stated without much sympathy. He would not give in to sentiments as much as those humans, or half-humans.

Sanderson Mansnoozie only looked on and offered a sad smile as Tsar Lunar gazed over at him. He had never seen or met him, but he knew his voice and he knew that he had been the one who had saved him and Emily Jane when they had crashed on this young world a long time ago. And he had done so with one simple, powerful wish.

Katherine was cowering on the floor of the translucent room, staring down at her home planet. She still didn't understand what had happened. She knew she had been Pitch's prisoner, she remembered the nightmares. He had used her as bait but what about Melissa? He had told them himself that he was holding her prisoner too.

The last time she had seen her new friend was in Punjam Hy Loo and she remembered faintly that they had been holding hands when Mother Nature had made her appearance. Had Melissa been whisked away too? Had she also been somewhere in that snow covered forest? Had she heard that awful conversation between Pitch and his daughter too?

What had he done with her? What had he done to make her come out here to save him? Manny had said, that he had not turned her into a fearling. He had said that she was doing, what he had told her to do. But to side with the Nightmare King? Why?

It all didn't matter now. Pitch was dead and her dear friend was out there all alone. Why was everyone around her shouting? Why could they not just shut up and leave her to her grief and sorrow?

She looked up and saw her dear Nightlight, but he didn't come to her. He bowed to the Man in the Moon and Manny hugged him like an old friend. Nightlight returned the gesture.

Katherine was surrounded by friends but she felt as lost and alone with her feelings as anyone could. But then Nightlight turned away from Tsar Lunar, looking shaken and thoroughly unhappy. Then he saw Katherine and a moment later he sat down beside her.

"He is... dead?" the spectral boy asked. The last word sounded strange and foreign coming from him and his usually cheerful, crystal clear voice was low and heavy with with the same sadness and pain Katherine felt.

"They were too close... the cannons went off..." the girl whispered and tried hard not to cry. "It just happened... and Liz... "

"We saw it too" Nightlight actually cut her off and he sounded strangely agitated, almost angry and Katherine noticed that he was clenching his fists. Never before had she seen him like this. "He threw himself into the line of fire - to save our friend! The Fool! That light would not have hurt her at all! And now he's ... gone."

And then the short tantrum was over and when Katherine looked up into Nightlight's bright green eyes, she saw something there, that she had never seen before. Tears. They trickled down his cheeks and fell into Katherine's open palms. She caught them and like a treasure, she pressed them to her heart.

Nightlight took her hands and held them tight. Then he carefully plucked his own tears from them and allowed them to merge with the diamond tip of his staff.

What for? Kathrine thought. Pitch is gone, there is no need...

But then she suddenly sensed her best friend's thoughts and feelings and when she looked up again, there was a strange sparkle in his eyes. There was still hope... somewhere beyond the darkness.

They both looked down at the blue orb out in space that was their earth.

Most of the other children had returned to the sides of their parents. But William the absolutely youngest, Fog and Sasha were still at the telescopes, adjusting and putting in stronger oculars to see what was going on on their world.

"Can you see her?" Sasha asked as she was moving her device around, searching.

"No, not her... but I see that nightmare boat" the absolutely youngest William sighed. "There is a village, but it looks... destroyed... and abandoned. There are no people there."

Fog adjusted his telescope and saw it too. "But the boat is there? Where are Melissa and Pitch?"

"Probably in one of those huts" Sascha breathed.

And the three of them watched on while everyone else was gathered around the Man in the Moon. They were all stricken with guilt, shame and with sadness.

Pitch had been their enemy. They had sworn to defeat him and now he was gone. The moon itself had done what they had failed to do all this time, but the circumstances were just so … unexpected and strange. They had all wanted to defeat him... but now... his end just didn't seem fitting.

Nightlight was trying to comfort Katherine, but other children had gathered around them, they were coming up with ideas and theories of their own about why the fearsome Nightmare King had done something as reckless and stupid as to come here of all places.

"Maybe he didn't know that the light of the Moon would render him powerless" Petter suggested.

"He was hiding in the storage." Tall William threw in. "Maybe he was just planning to steal our tower and leave us here."

"Or maybe" he next younger brother suggested "He had finally lost his mind and ran off on a suicide mission. He should have known that we would catch him!"

"Will you all shut your pie holes for a moment!" Fog shouted right into their argument, his eyes still glued to the telescope. "Something is happening down there!"

Fog, as well as William the absolutely youngest and Sascha, were still looking down through the telescopes and beyond all hope or fear, they saw the Nightmare King emerge from one of the ruined huts.

"He's alive!" Sascha yelped.

" _What?"_ a dozen voices around her gasped.

"Where is Melissa?" Fog breathed fearfully but a moment later the girl also stepped out of the door.

"There she is! They are both alright!" William the absolutely youngest yelled. And within moments everyone was crowding around the telescopes once more, even Manny himself could not hide his curiosity and excitement at the unexpected turn of events.

The news of Pitch's survival struck them all in the most curious ways. They were relieved and fearful at the same time. The Nightmare King was still around, and perhaps... no probably, they would have to face him again sooner or later.

The six Guardians shared one thought. None of them wanted to fight him again, not after this. But they were worried. All of them looked up at the Man in the Moon, Tsar Lunar.

"What must we do, Manny?" North asked hoarsely.

"Nothing, my dear friends" Manny said with a wonderfully hopeful smile. "For now... we only need to let things take their course. I will let you know when your assistance is needed. Take this" he said and handed them a rather large and beautifully cut piece of crystal.

"This is a Moonstone crystal. I will be able to communicate with you through this. Put it some place safe but easy to access" he looked at North. "Your new city at the Earth's northern magnetic pole will do nicely. Just make sure the feng shui is good there and I will be able to call you in whenever there is trouble."

"Fang... what?" North frowned but Toothiana placed a hand on his shoulder. "I understand Tsar, I will help with the task and explain it to our savage friend."

"Who are you calling a savage?" Nicholas hollered but the feathered Queen just laughed at him and so did the Man in the Moon and Ombric as well. It felt good to be able to laugh again. Bunnymund looked on and shook his head at the odd human behavior. Soon everyone else joined in and the world was at least somehow in order once again.

They spent a few more hours in Manny's company. They presented him with the gifts they had made for him and in turn he showed them around a bit more, introduced them to the moonbots and the creatures he shared his home with.

Katherine followed him but shared her thoughts solely with her dear friend Nightlight.

 _Manny must be lonely here..._

 _He does seem eager to talk to all of us..._

 _Someone should stay here to keep him company..._

… _and help him keep an eye on the world..._

 _But I want to see Melissa again and talk to her.. I have to know why..._

 _I know... we need to settle things on earth first. But perhaps then we can both come back here and stay with Manny._

 _I would miss North and Ombric..._

 _I would miss them too and all the others... but this time I'd be remembering who I am missing. It would be alright. And we could always see them through those telescopes._

He looked over at his old friend. Nightlight had not seen Tsar Lunar since that last battle of the Golden Age and ever since he remembered him, he had missed him too. But he had grown up beautifully and into such a kind an noble creature.

 _No one deserves to be so alone..._

Nightlight could be so grown up lately, it made Katherine's head spin, but he was right. They were growing up, both of them. She could feel it. They had to start to make choices for themselves and shape their own future. They could not always depend on their friends to take care of them. They were no longer children. And the Moon was a wonderful place.

* * *

The caves remained quiet for the rest of the night and most of the next day. Melissa was sleeping soundly, without unpleasant dreams and for the first time in what seemed like ages, Pitch did so as well. Both of them were exhausted from the trip to the moon and back and all those near fatal experiences.

Not a single fearling showed itself, even after sunrise. They had become aware of a change in their so called King, even though he was merely a puppet. They had not failed to notice that their hold on him was beginning to slacken as if someone was slowly cutting the strings, one at a time.

It had them puzzled for while. So they remained in the shadows, wondering but ever watchful.

When Melissa had set off that light-bomb right after their return to the caves, a few of them had escaped the blast. They knew now what was going on. This child was the reason for the change. A human child! In their minds nothing more than prey!

Even though they seemed like mindless beasts, fearlings were not stupid. They were in fact quite cunning in their own evil way and they understood that this small human creature was stealing their favorite play thing away from them. The news spread quickly through the realm of shadows and soon plans were in the making. This child had to go! For good!

Some time in the late afternoon, Pitch awoke from a most reviving slumber and still there was not a single moving shadow in sight. He couldn't tell if he had been attacked or not, but he felt good. He had never slept so long and so soundly. His energy had returned and he was full of plans for the coming night.

He got up from what was left of his bed, rubbed his eyes and stretched himself to his full extend. Then, when he reached for his robes he once again became aware of the hole in the back. The thing was way beyond repair. He looked at it with an uncertain frown.

 _I can't possibly walk around wearing this anymore. It's disgraceful!_

Unfortunately though, he had no replacement and it began to dawn on him, that he would have to fashion himself a new robe. And tailoring was certainly not an art he was familiar with. He didn't even own the tools.

 _Ah, drat it... I might have to learn this the hard way... but first..._

He slipped his ruined robes back on and looked around at the small black pile that was once his bed. He did have a lot more of this canvas in his vaults. Pitch nodded to himself and left the room to check on his prisoner...

 _No_ , he corrected himself quickly... _not my prisoner... my friend!_

The mere thought brought a smile to his face as he made his way across his dim workshop towards the cage where Melissa was still fast asleep. Then he realized, that he was no longer able to simply let himself in and wake her. He was no longer in possession of a key. He grimaced at the memory. The key was now with Katherine. The girl and her Guardian friends would come back to find her. And if they believed him dead, they would do so soon. They might even be already on their way.

But even if they came back to the small cave where they had recovered Katherine, they would not have an easy time finding their ways through the hundreds of tunnels that connected his home to every known continent. It was a maze and one had to know it well in order to not get completely lost. It was highly unlikely that they would find her anytime soon.

He would not let them take her away from him. He couldn't let this happen.

Pitch watched the sleeping girl for another minute and made up his mind to improve his security wards. He had been trusting those fearlings way to blindly. Now however he had to trust in himself and his own abilities to keep this place hidden.

Then, as he turned around and headed for the shadows to go and find the girl some breakfast and other things he would need, he thought again.

 _I can't keep her here in the darkness forever. She's a human being. She needs the sunlight, like I need the dark, otherwise she will get seriously sick. She might even die! And she is a child... she needs other children her age to play with..._

He disappeared into the shadows only to emerge from them instants later in the dark alley of a village further to the east. Here it was already dark and he could move around without much worry. He had raided this place many times lately without being noticed in order to find food for Melissa.

He had enjoyed those little trips before but now his heart felt strangely heavy.

 _Perhaps I should let her go, I might even take her back to Santoff Claussen myself. But not just yet... not now..._

He forced himself to let go of that train of thoughts, he knew already where it would lead him. Instead he focused on the task at hand and kept his eyes trained on the dark windows searching for just the right one to enter and check out the family kitchen.

When he returned to his caves about half an hour later he had nicked a basked from the storage room of the villages largest building and filled it with bread, cheese and fruit along with a jug of fresh milk. He had also found a needle and a spool of yarn, but this tedious task could wait until later.

He emerged from the shadows and made straight for the cage.

"Good evening, Pitch!"

He had barely heard the whisper but he spun around, completely startled. But then he noticed that Melissa was up and sitting at the table already hard at work again.

"Gods, Liz!" he breathed. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

The girl grinned and then shrugged her shoulders. "I'd never."

The Nightmare King made his way over to the workbench and watched her for a minute. She was working on those orbs and the jar with silvery stardust was on the table beside her.

Melissa was truly glad that she did no longer need to hide this from him. It made everything so much easier. But she noticed that he looked a bit uneasy, almost nervous as he watched her.

"I have prepared two more of those. Just in case. Did you use the other one?"

Pitch shook his head. "I still have it."

She looked up at him nervously. "Do you remember anything?"

"A lot of things, but I don't remember being attacked."

Melissa nodded and then, as Pitch started to place the contents of the basked on the table, she got up and put the tools and stardust away.

"That looks delicious" she admitted when she sat down again.

"Hope you are hungry."

"To be honest... I'm starving!" she admitted with a smile and didn't wait for an invitation.

Pitch had sat down opposite of her and grinned gleefully at the way she stuffed her face.

She noticed and slowed down considerably. "Thank you" she said after she had washed down a piece of bread, topped with creamy goat cheese and a few berries with a swig of milk. "Where do you get this anyway?"

He shrugged. "I steal it" he confessed but raised both hands defensively at her punitive gaze. "Don't worry! I've been careful. And those people have plenty. They will probably not even notice when something goes missing."

The girl sighed and nodded. There was probably no helping it if she didn't want to starve. She knew she should appreciate his efforts but it still didn't sit well with her.

"You should try some" she said finally and pushed some of the food his way.

"I don't eat, you know that" he simply replied and crossed his arms over his chest.

Melissa shrugged. "Sure, I know. But It's never too late to try something new. And I don't think it would kill you. So why not just give it a try? You might even enjoy it."

Pitch gave her his favorite dead pan expression but the girl simply smiled at his display of indifference and stubbornness.

"What? Are you afraid?" she teased, knowing that she had won already.

And as certain as the next sunset, Pitch could not let this stand. "Afraid? I'll show you!" he spat and reached out for a crust of bread.

Melissa watched him breathlessly as he bit of a small piece and for a moment she was actually worried when she saw his frown. But Pitch was simply trying to figure out how it was done. He couldn't remember ever eating. But then suddenly, long forgotten instincts took over and he started chewing. But when he finally forced the stuff down his throat he was still frowning.

"Bit bland, don't you think? And dry too."

The girl grinned and started preparing another small piece of bread, spread some goat cheese on it and placed two of the rather mushy raspberries on top.

"You'll have to combine things to get the real experience. Here try this." She handed it to him and nodded expectantly. "If it's too dry, have a bit of milk."

Pitch rolled his eyes. He didn't even know why he doing this. Why did he feel like he had to prove something? He took the offered piece of art anyway and took another bite, making sure he got one of the berries.

During a few moments of silent chewing his face gradually lit up in wonder and delight. Melissa saw it but tried not to let it on. But inside, she was celebrating and it was really hard to keep a straight face.

"So?" she asked as seriously as she could. "Any better?"

He didn't look at her for a moment but kept moving his tongue around inside his mouth to get at even the last bits of taste. Only then did he nod.

"Not too bad" he admitted. "Actually, this was kind of... interesting and rather... enjoyable."

Then he looked straight at her caught that short sparkle of victory in her eyes. It amused him but made him realize that he had been tricked into this. The girl had played the pride-card and he had fallen for it.

 _That little witch..._

And yet, he found himself unable to get angry at her. Instead he grinned back. "Alright, I'll grant you that point. But I am done with this for tonight." He handed the rest back to her and she stuffed it into her mouth without even a comment.

"So" she asked silently when she was done eating. "Have you come up with any new plan yet?"

Pitch looked up with a blank expression. "Plan?"

"Well you know... world domination, getting rid of the Guardians or whatever you have been trying to achieve" she didn't like her own choice of words but she had to find out what it was that he really wanted.

The Nightmare King understood what she was hinting at but he had not even thought about this yet. There was just too many other things on his mind right now.

"No" he admitted plainly but with a deep frown and then stood up and walked away.

Melissa bit her lip. Asking him something like this had obviously not been the best idea but she was not going to let him run away like this. She jumped up from the bench and attempted to follow him. But she had not even made it around the table when she lost sight of him.

She went looking of course, but all she found were black walls of rock and no trace of Pitch. She started pacing in agitation.

 _I am such an idiot! Why can't I keep my big mouth shut for once? Why can't I just..._

"Are you coming or not?"

Melissa whirled around at the unexpected sound of his voice. "Pitch?"

There he was, as if he had never left. Just standing there and holding out his dark left hand.

She wasn't quite sure what to do and hesitated for a moment.

"I could use an additional pair of hands in here" he said quite matter-of-factly but seemed a bit impatient.

"Coming!" she whispered and hurried forward, taking his hand. "Where are we going?"

"Just down the hall. I need to fix my bed after your little raid and I will have to do something about my robes. I am not going to spread any fear and darkness in this ragged thing!"

Melissa nodded and allowed him to lead her. But they were heading towards the dark, solid looking wall.

 _Down the hall? What hall? What the...!_

But the Nightmare King went right through it. She watched him melt into the stone and gasped as her hand was pulled along. It just went right into solid rock as if it wasn't even there and for a moment, all she could see was half of her arm.

"Ahh... Pitch! Wait... what are you..."

But her pulled her on without mercy and she closed her eyes. A moment later she could feel his hand on her shoulder.

"Seriously child. I thought you'd be used to that by now."

She opened her eyes and looked around but it was very dark, wherever they were. The air however smelled the same. Somewhat stale and ancient but without even a speck of light.

"What do you mean?" she breathed.

"I have walked you through quite a lot of those illusions when I first brought you here and on our way up to the observatory too. Didn't you notice?"

Melissa's jaw dropped a bit but then she shook her head and allowed him to lead her on.

"It was too dark. I had no idea" was all she could whisper.

Pitch smiled at this but then shook his head. She had not even seen them, so what was the point of keeping them up? The eyesight of mere mortals was so poor... why even bother? But perhaps the Guardians would be more perceptive.

They walked on through perfect darkness and all Melissa could do was trust him. And she did. Things had changed so much since that day he had first brought her down here. She remembered clearly how he had pushed her hand away back then, when she had accidentally grabbed it. But now. He had offered his own and was guiding her through this darkness.

Two weeks ago, she would have been terrified by not being able to see her path, or anything at all like this. But now, she felt perfectly safe with him. Or almost so. There was still that matter …

"I'm sorry" she whispered even thought she was getting a bit tired of apologizing all the time.

"What for?" his disembodied voice said, echoing from the walls around her. If it hadn't been for his hand around hers, she would have been positively freaked out.

"For asking something so stupid" she said and flinched when she heard the echo of her own whisper bouncing around the walls and back at her.

Pitch quite enjoyed her bit of a fright. These caverns were wonders when it came to acoustics and he could not help but chuckle softly.

"Maybe you overestimate me a bit. I have had a plan. One that I believed to be foolproof but it turned into a disaster because of one curious child. The only thing I was right about was the fact that it never even came down to a fight. Thinking of it... I should not even be here anymore. What makes you think I could come up with something new that quickly?"

Melissa pouted, knowing that he could see it. "I already said it was a stupid question."

"Actually it wasn't" Pitch replied and stopped moving. A moment later the girl could hear something click and more of those weird blue fires appeared around her, giving light to yet another vast chamber.

She stared around in wonder at all the things she saw but Pitch was still talking.

"I could have come up with a new plan by now. Scraps of it at least, but I haven't. I have more pressing matters to attend to right now and the first one is to restore my bed and somehow fashion myself a new robe."

Melissa heard all of this and even smiled at it but her eyes were wandering around the chamber. It looked like a treasure vault out of a story book, except for the fact that there was no gold or glittering jewels anywhere. Instead there were bars of dark metal stacked up in rows and chests and boxes of all sizes but they were all closed and she could not even imagine what they held.

Pitch pointed ahead and she followed his gesture with her eyes.

Yes, he had said that he had more of this stuff his bed was made off. But Melissa still gasped at the amounts of it. There were literally tons of fabric all packed up neatly in parcels and stacked up to the ceiling.

"Wow" she gasped again. "Where did you get all of this?"

Pitch shrugged. "I found one of those ships... like that small lifeboat you used to fly to the moon, just much bigger. I salvaged as much as I could from it and the storage room was full of that stuff."

"Awesome!" she breathed. "What did you do with that ship?"

"It was damaged beyond repair so I sank it. I thought it was better to leave no traces."

"Mmhm" she nodded her understanding. "So what are we going to do now?"

Pitch simply smiled at her and she didn't need to ask again.

Within perhaps half an hour they had carried about three dozen sheets back up to the main cavern. Pitch had added some of them to his bed until it looked as it had before but there was still a surplus.

Melissa had been wondering about the amounts, but when Pitch handed her most of it, she was actually quite baffled.

"I'm sure it will be more comfortable than those furs" Pitch chuckled at the girls dumbfounded face. But then, she actually seemed quite thrilled as she dashed off with her load and got to work inside her cage.

He could not help but gloat a bit over her excitement and then shook his head. He couldn't believe he was feeling this way, but doing something nice for her actually made him smile, it felt pretty good to see her so happy.

The Nightmare King's good mood however didn't last long. Melissa was still working inside her cage, arranging her new bed, when she heard him cursing and muttering back at the workbench.

She knew what he was trying to do and wondered what the problem was. So Melissa finished up her work quickly and headed back over to see what all the cussing was about.

She watched him silently from a save distance for a few more minutes, a bit amused about his clumsy attempts at a cutting but she tried very hard not to laugh at him. He was obviously new at this and mocking him would be completely out of place. Instead she wondered how she could offer her assistance without offending him. She could tell he was already upset. Any kind of good advise would probably push him over the edge and into a full blown tantrum.

Before she could come up with a plan though, Pitch spotted her.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped, causing her to jump back in surprise.

 _Wow... this is even worse than I expected. I haven't even said anything yet..._

She wasn't quite sure how to reply and decided to just stick to the simple truth.

"You" she whispered frankly.

"Oh really!" Pitch drawled and gave her an icy glare but she wasn't really afraid. She knew he wasn't mad at her, but at himself. That however didn't stop him from venting his frustration on her.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" he spat at her harshly and kept cutting the piece of cloth crudely with a short blade, ruining it completely.

Melissa sighed, walked around the table and sat down next to him.

"I want you to let me help you with this" she admitted bluntly. "I am just not sure how to ask you ... without..." she broke off and looked away.

"... without making me look like a fool?" he suggested and dropped the blade onto the table and wiped his face with both hands.

"That would be impossible" the girl whispered and Pitch could actually hear her smile, despite her lack of voice. "I just don't want you to feel like one."

He wondered about her words for a moment and then shrugged without looking at her.

"How very considerate... but too late."

"I know" she admitted. "But there is nothing wrong with asking for help, you know. I can see that you are kind of new at this. And sewing is girl-stuff anyway, right?"

Pitch looked up at this, frowning deeply for a moment but his eyes lit up a bit.

"Hold on... Are you telling me, you can do this?"

"Yes" she replied matter-of-factly and for once full of confidence.

"Seriously?"

"Believe it or not, but sewing is something I have actually learned from my mother when I was really young and I have had plenty of practice since then. I had to sew and patch most of my fathers clothes and my own. Once I even had to make a tent. I don't think I can do anything fancy though, I am not an artist, but I'll do my best. And besides, I want to somehow say thanks for those sheets you let me have."

Pitch raised an eyebrow at her pussyfooting. The girl just looked back at him expectantly. She really wanted to do this. It would keep her busy and it would be fun.

There were a few seconds of silence during which Pitch studied her hopeful little face and then took a deep breath. He felt more than relieved but didn't want to let it show.

"Alright. Is there anything you need?"

Melissa tapped a finger against her cheek for a few moments and let her eyes wander around the table. Then she nodded. "Yes, I need a piece of chalk and a measuring tape, and you."

"Me?" The Nightmare King seemed a bit startled by this detail.

"Yes, you" the girl confirmed quite business-like. "How am I supposed to know how big I have to make this thing if I don't have any measurements?"

A few minutes later Pitch had assembled the things she needed along with a new piece of the black fabric . But he felt so very uncomfortable as the girl stood on the bench and measured his arms, chest, waist and so on while she made notes on a piece of slate with the chalk he had found for her.

"Hold still" she scolded him repeatedly. "And stop fidgeting! I can't work like this!"

When she was finally done with that part, Pitch slumped down on the bench with a sigh of heartfelt relief.

"So" Melissa went on as she studied her notes still in that business-like fashion. "How would you like your new robe? Any special requests? Anything important that I have to consider?"

He still had issues with her being so cool and yet enthusiastic about this, but then he shrugged. "Like this one, only without the hole" he told her and managed a small grin.

The girl brushed a strand of her long hair out of her face and looked up at him curiously. Actually she looked him up and down, down and up with a piercing gaze before she finally nodded.

"I don't think I can copy those embroideries. And I don't think I can do a collar like this, I will give it a try though, but I can't promise anything. Only that it will turn out simpler."

Pitch didn't really care as long as it would fit and had no holes. But he didn't mention that. Instead he watched her work.

She started measuring around on the cloth and then started drawing strange shapes onto it with the chalk. Only after a while did he realize that she was drawing out different parts of the robe. He had tried to make it all one piece, or rather two. One for the front and one for the back, but she was putting a lot more work and time into it. This made him wonder.

"How much time do you think you will need?" he asked finally hoping not to sound impatient. He didn't want to rush her or make her angry and perhaps throw the towel because he was pushing her.

Melissa however was not the least annoyed. She even smiled up at him.

"Normally I would say a week perhaps. But this material is pretty awesome. It doesn't fray at the edges, look!" She showed him the rims of her poncho, which were still as smooth as they had been when Pitch had first put it on her. "That will save me a lot of work. But I don't think I will get it ready today... er… tonight. I might be able to finish it tomorrow, or the night after.

The Nightmare King nodded. He had hoped that it would take less time but he also knew that patience was one of his very few virtues. He would wait even a bit longer because he still had other plans for tonight.

Melissa kept working, measuring, drawing and comparing her work with the notes she had made on the piece of slate.

Pitch admired her ability to concentrate. She didn't even seem to notice him anymore. She was completely absorbed in her task and she seemed to enjoy it too. She was constantly smiling, alright there was a small frown every now and then, but it disappeared quickly. What puzzled him however were her strange notes.

He had never seen signs or symbols like that before. He could recognize a number here and there but they looked crude and scraggly. But the girl seemed to be able to read them quite clearly.

After a while he could no longer contain his curiosity and he broke the silence.

"Those notes of yours... what kind of language is that? I've never seen the like."

The girl looked up from her work and smiled. "Something I came up with by myself to help me remember things. Like a memory-hook. I know it's crude but since I never had a chance to learn how to read or write..."

" _What?"_

Pitch was on his feet in an instant out of pure shock. Now this was something he absolutely could not imagine. This clever little creature, who had so many wonderful abilities and traits... could not read? She could not write? She had never enjoyed a book? It seemed impossible.

Melissa looked up at him in surprise at his sudden agitation. He seemed almost beside himself. Was he angry? No... he just seemed shocked at the fact that she never had a proper education.

"You really never learned that?" the Nightmare King asked, just to be absolutely sure he had heard right.

She sighed and nodded, but continued to work. "I have learned many things. I have learned to survive in the wilds. I am a hunter, a tracker, a butcher if I have to be, I know how to lay traps and how to joint any creature from a rabbit to an elk. I am also a skinner, a tanner and a pretty good cook, at least that's what my papa used to say. I can make things. I can sew, I can weave and I can fix things, like that boat or those orbs..."

She sighed deeply in regret. "All I have ever learned was about survival. How to keep myself warm and fed and safe and perhaps a bit more comfortable. Reading and writing were not essential... so... no, I never learned that."

Pitch could barely believe it. He sat down again and started to think very hard. Perhaps he could teach her, but how? He was a lot of things but he was not good with children, but still … this girl... she was not like any other human child he had ever encountered. She was his friend, wasn't she?

He looked up when a strange, sizzling sound distracted him from his thoughts. She had begun to cut out the shapes she had drawn on the fabric using her stardust-infused dagger. And the fabric gave way to the glittering blade at the slightest touch.

Neither of them said anything for a long time. Pitch kept track on the time however and around midnight, when Melissa had already begun to sew some of the parts together he got up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Time for a break" he said with a smile and stood up. "Leave the rest for tomorrow night."

The girl looked up at him, thoroughly bewildered. "But... but... I thought you wanted this as soon as possible!"

"There's time, and you have worked hard enough for one night. Besides, I have to clear a debt. Come with me."

Melissa dropped what she was doing and followed him across the cavern.

"Where are we going?" she asked when she had caught up with him.

There was barely any light left but she could see his smile.

"Can't you tell? You should know the way by now."

And that was when Melissa realized that they were approaching the dark tunnel that led up to the Nightmare King's observatory.

"Are you serious?" she whispered excitedly.

"You won. That was your bargain, wasn't it? You wanted to learn how to use those telescopes and see the stars up close."

Her heart nearly burst with joy and anticipation. She hurried along and grabbed Pitch's hand as they entered the dark tunnels.

"I am a man of my word after all" Pitch rambled on. "And it is only down to you that I can actually live up to my promise. Isn't that why you traveled all the way to the moon to get me?"

Melissa didn't reply to that at first. She had said that, it was true, but it had been an excuse because she was not really so sure why she had done this. Now she was more aware of her reasons but she was still reluctant to admit them- at least to him.

"I said that" she simply confirmed.

Pitch slowed down and looked at her through squinted eyes, quite aware of the fact that she could not see him in this darkness. But she held on to his hand and followed, trusting him to lead the way.

"But?" he asked. He knew there was a but.

At this Melissa looked up but all she could see was blackness and the faint glimmer of his suddenly fluorescent eyes. She stared right into them and Pitch looked back at her in surprise.

 _She is looking right at me... as if she could see me... amazing... perhaps her eyes are adjusting to this place_!

"It was an excuse" she admitted in her whisper. "But please don't ask me... "

"Maybe later?" Pitch asked with a smile in his voice and the girl nodded.

"Maybe later."

They reached the obervatory and once the blue fires were flickering around them, Pitch really did live up to his promise. He showed her how to use ever single device he owned, named the stars and the constellations they were looking at and shared as much knowledge with her as he could. Melissa could not ever remember a more magical night. She saw and learned more about the universe than she could have ever imagined. And with every hour that passed, she liked Pitch more. He was an awesome teacher and an even better friend.

It was almost morning when they had worked their way up to the huge telescope in the center of the room.

Melissa was way to small to reach up to it, but Pitch sat down on the seat and pulled her up onto his knees. He showed her how to use the controls and Melissa was lost in wonder and delight as she saw Saturn's rings so close that she could see the particles flowing around the vast giant of gas. She searched for the planet's moons and Pitch told her the names of every single one of them.

They worked their way out of the solar system, as Pitch changed the lenses of the device so they could look deeper into space. This way Melissa explored places far beyond the borders of human knowledge and did not grow tired until the sun rose.

The Nightmare King himself was just as much lost in wonder and joy as the girl. But it was not the look of the far away stars and planets that gave him this feeling. It was Melissa as she sat on his lap, completely unafraid, so happy and excited as she pointed out galaxies and nebulars and stars no human being had ever seen before. Her eyes were glued to the telescope and he simply held on to her, balancing her on his knees, heard her silent laughs and sighs of wonder. Just seeing her so happy made his own cold heart burst with joy.

It was the strangest night of his life... of his whole existence. When she asked him to look through the telescope at a new star she had found, he felt as if he looked into a brighter future. He had seen them all before, but never through the eyes of a child. It was a striking and wonderful experience.

When the sun finally rose and forced them to stop, Melissa was completely worn out and more sleepy than she would ever have admitted. She let go of the telescope and leaned back against his chest. She had almost forgotten where she was or who she was with. She only knew that she had just had the greatest night of her life.

"Thanks Pitch" she sighed as she felt his arms around her, keeping her from slipping off his knees, holding her tight. She had never felt so safe. "Thank you for this. I'll never _ever_ forget this night."

"Neither will I, Liz." Pitch promised and scooped her up in his arms.

When he carried her out of the dark observatory a few minutes later, she was already fast asleep.

* * *

Back at the North Pole Katherine was leaning against one of the huge hemlocks surrounding the village. Nightlight was sitting on a low branch looking down at her. They had landed less than an hour ago and Katherine was quite tired from the adventure.

"Things are so strange now" she whispered thoughtfully . "I have always been afraid of Pitch, but now... I don't want to fight him ever again. Do you?"

"He has risked his life for Melissa" the boy said quite seriously. He had become more talk-active lately. Normally he would only share few of his thoughts but ever since he had saved his dearest friend from that eternal nightmare, he had changed. They both knew that things were different for them and perhaps for the Nightmare King as well.

Before they had departed from the Moon, Katherine had had a private conversation with Manny and now was the time to share what she had learned with her closest friend.

"Manny said, he had never told Melissa to side with Pitch. He said that, when he had first noticed her at the Lamadary, he had the strangest feeling, that she would be important. And he mentioned something like her having a big heart and he had told her to follow it. According to him, she is doing just that but it is still weird. I can't help but wonder, Nightlight. Is she fraternizing with our enemy or is Pitch fraternizing with her?"

The spectral boy smiled down at her. "Maybe it is both."

He dropped down from his branch, glowing brightly in the dim forest. He walked up to his Katherine and around the tree she was using for support. He leaned against the backside and reached out for her hands. She knew his mind and reached out for his. They stood like this for a while – hand in hand with theirs backs against the bark.

"Everything is different now" Nightlight said suddenly. "Everything is changing. We are changing, even _I_ am. I am finally growing up. Maybe Pitch is changing too."

"Maybe Melissa is doing this. I know she felt sorry for him, when I told her about his past. Mother Nature must have taken her along too, I could feel her hand in mine when the storm took us. She might have heard their conversation."

"You never told me about it" Nightlight said quietly and Katherine sighed. "There was just no time with everything that was going on. But I will tell you now."

And she did. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. And she told him everything she had seen and heard. Everything she remembered from Punjam Hy Loo, her fearsome encounter with Pitch, Melissa's daring interference and then their strange abduction by Mother Nature and finally the nightmares she had found herself in after. She told him everything she remembered up to that fateful kiss.

She remembered the feeling of Nightlight's lips on hers. It made her blush as new feelings that she had never known before rushed through her.

The spectral boy could feel it too, he shone brighter than ever as he clutched Katherine's hands and leaned back against the rough bark of the tree.

"You are right, Nightlight" the auburn-haired girl whispered suddenly. "Everything is changing. I can feel it. I am not who I used to be... I am becoming who I want to be. All I need to do is believe."

Nightlight let go of one of her hands and whirled around the tree, still holding on to her right one until he faced her.

"Let us believe together. Let us believe in this new Golden Age, where everything is right, where we are together, where no one is alone, where everyone has friends and is happy. Our friends, Manny and even the Nightmare King. Let us believe in a future where he is not our enemy but our friend!"

Katherine looked into her best friends bright eyes and nodded. It was a beautiful dream, almost too good to be true and even harder to imagine. But what she had seen lately made it a bit easier.

"That will take a lot of believing" she smiled and looked up at the night sky.

Nightlight did so too and they both saw a shooting star high above the forests canopy.

"Let's wish upon that star" the spectral boy suggested and Katherine grasped his hands firmly and closed her eyes, making a wish and so did her friend.


	15. Chapter 15

When Melissa awoke from her peaceful slumber, it was to a dreadful wail and she was up on her knees in an instant. She didn't remember how she had gotten back to her cage and onto that brand new bed of hers. But she knew instantly what the sound meant. But before she even managed to fumble her lockpick from her pocket there was a bright flash of blinding light from the room where Pitch used to sleep.

Her heart skipped a beat in fear and hope at the same time as she let herself out of her cage and ran over to that curtain-covered door as fast as her legs could carry her. She was still a bit drowsy but she was already clasping another light-bomb in one hand and her dagger in the other.

But when she burst into the room, there was nothing. Only a bit of black fog was hovering around the Nightmare King's bed. Pitch was flat on his back, eyes wide open and he was breathing heavily.

"Pitch!" she hissed and flew to his side and up onto the newly refurbished bed I a flash. "Are you alright?" she breathed, clearly upset as she knelt down beside him.

He blinked a few times but then, when he recognized her face, he grinned rather stupidly and a bit cross-eyed. "Got them. I'm fine."

The girl didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. But she was so upset and relieved at the same time that she did both... at the same time. She was laughing as tears were running down her cheeks.

Pitch pulled himself up onto his elbows and then to a sitting position. He had been lucky to wake up at the first wave of fearlings and he had almost instinctively grabbed the small explosive with his right hand just in time and detonated it. Nothing had happened to him. He was perhaps a bit shaken but alright.

But the girl was in some sort of distress. She was crying, he could see her tears... but she didn't seem unhappy. She was... laughing. The Nightmare King grimaced at the confusing display of opposing emotions.

 _What is this? Is she loosing her mind? How can one be happy and sad at the same time?_

"I'm fine" he repeated. "But are _you?_ "

"I'm good" Melissa sobbed and wiped her tears away. "I was just worried for you. But you did it!"

"Then _why_ are you crying?" Pitch wondered, this was way beyond his understanding yet and he sounded a bit impatient. He really couldn't stand to see her cry and he could stand it even less not knowing the reason for it.

"Because I am relieved and happy that you are alright!" she gasped and threw her hands up in exasperation.

 _It's really not that hard to understand, is it?... Well... perhaps for him..._

The Nightmare King stared. He was still a bit shaky from the attack and drowsy from sleep. He could not wrap his mind around the fact that good feelings like relief and happiness could still inspire tears.

"You humans are just plain weird" he breathed a bit annoyed and the girl slumped back onto her heels. She looked down at him in slight confusion but then she could not help but grin.

Pitch was still flat on his back but he was a lot more awake now. His vision had cleared and he could see Melissa smiling down on him quite clearly.

"You know... " she whispered. "Tears are not always a bad thing."

"I always thought they were" Pitch admitted without even attempting to get up. Instead he just made himself more comfortable on his sheets and crossed his long arms behind his neck.

The girl chuckled silently and nodded to herself. "One day, Pitch... I will see you cry out of happiness. And then you will understand."

Pitch huffed at this and turned his back on her as he pulled his blanket back up over his shoulder but he was neither angry nor offended. He just felt as if he had missed out on life. He didn't understand what the girl was talking about and at the same time he felt as if he really should.

It made him feel more foolish than the time earlier when she had offered to help him with his new robes.

"It will be night again soon, won't it?" Melissa whispered suddenly. She was still there beside him and the Nightmare King shrugged. The sun would not set within the next two hours.

"Perhaps two or three hours" he sighed. "Go and get some more sleep."

Melissa smiled at this. Those awful shadows would not be back before the next sunrise but after the fright they had just given her, she could not possibly go back to sleep. She was wide awake and ready for anything.

Pitch however seemed more than ready to stay right where he was and ignored her completely.

The girl took great care to make as little noise as possible, as she silently slipped down from his bed, tiptoed out of the room and back to her cage. She had different plans now. There would still be two or three hours of sunlight and she would make sure to use them well. The darkness of the caves and the eerie blue fires were not the least uncomfortable to her by now but still the constant gloom was beginning to weigh on her.

She felt like she needed some good old-fashioned natural sunlight, she was practically hungry for it. But that was not the only thing she needed. Her dress was filthy and smelly and needed a wash, let alone what she was wearing underneath. But by no means would she be running around naked down here.

The moment she got back into her cage, she picked up the top sheet of black fabric from her bed and pulled out her dagger. She needed nothing fancy. Just something to tie around her hips as long as her dress was wet. Melissa felt only a bit guilty when she cut off a strip of cloth from the sheet that was just long and wide enough. She shrugged the feeling off and instead made her way up through the familiar dark tunnel up to the valley.

 _Maybe I should have asked for permission first..._

She bit her lip a bit at the thought but shrugged the new feeling of guilt away as well. Pitch wanted to sleep and she was not going to disturb him. Besides she felt like she had earned a bit of independence and trust.

By the time she stepped out into the bright sunlight she was full of confidence and enthusiasm once again and when the first rays of golden light shone down on her, she could only close her eyes in pure bliss for a moment. It was warm... so warm. Then however, she let out a silent laugh and started running and jumping out of pure joy. The sun had an amazing effect on her. It was recharging her and within minutes the girl was so full to the brim with energy and good spirits, that she could barely sit still.

But there was work to be done and she called herself to order. A minute later she was completely undressed at the shore of the lake and her dirty clothes were in the water. She looked down on the pile of blackness she had brought to put on but then just smiled. Pitch would not come out here as long as the sun was shining – not if he valued his life which she knew he did as a matter of fact. And this place was so secluded... no one would see her anyway.

She did her washing as quickly as she possibly could and then hung the clothes to dry on a low branch.

With the work finally out of the way, all she really wanted was to enjoy herself for a while. She glanced longingly back at she surface of the lake. It was sparkling so invitingly in the late afternoon sun.

Melissa looked down on herself and then to the pile of dark fabric on the lush grass beside her. A moment later she had cut off another small strip of her make-shift dress and used it to tie up her hair before she jumped into the icy lake with another silent laugh.

She swam for a bit until she felt frozen to the bones and then just lay down on the soft grass in the sunniest spot she could find. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth until she nearly dozed off. Too soon however the sun began to set and it got rather chilly.

Melissa donned her make-shift black clothes and felt her dress. It was still damp and would need a bit more time to dry completely. She sighed and laid down again as the ruby and pink sky darkened and turned into silvery grays and blues. Slowly the first stars began to show and she knew, she should grab her stuff and go back inside. But the evening was so beautiful and clear, she could not bring herself to get up just yet.

Back down in the caverns the Nightmare King woke from a rather refreshing, dreamless nap and as he rose from his bed and stretched, allowing his spine to pop slightly, he was all smiles and already making plans for the night ahead.

He rummaged through his chest and brought forth a few sheets of plain parchment and a rather old and well used quill. He dug a bit deeper until he found the small bottle of ink … or rather without ink, since it was as good as empty and the remaining contents had dried on the bottom.

 _Oh darn. Where will I find a replacement for that now? Why is there always something missing or going wrong? Even when I am trying to do something nice for a change, fate just has to kick my rear... it's not fair!_

Pitch sighed and threw everything back into the trunk with an angry scowl. Instead he picked up one of the fake spellbooks he had there. The girl had to learn how to read and write. Her inability to do so was something he absolutely could not ignore.

The Nightmare King knew that he was probably not much of a teacher, but he would give it a try. Perhaps the girl would appreciate his efforts some day.

Then, as he left his private chamber, his mood brightened considerably. Melissa was nowhere to be seen, so she was probably still asleep. He would check on her quickly and then he would have to find her some food anyway. Perhaps, even if fate had it in for him, Lady Luck might just be on his side and he would come across some ink or some other writing tools.

He strolled over to her cage with new vim but the moment he saw the open door, he realized that something was not right. His first thought was that the fearlings might have returned and had gotten in somehow. He broke into a run and reached the open cage. But it was empty... _Empty!_

 _If it was them... Melissa should still be here... they wouldn't have allowed her to escape... but she's gone. Why is she gone? She wouldn't..._

Pitch tore at his spiky hair in dismay and confusion. And then, all of a sudden, he was afraid. Very afraid.

 _She wouldn't... she wouldn't do that to me, would she? She would not just run away and leave me alone..._

She had to be somewhere around. He could not believe that she would run off. Where would she go anyway? She had no means to leave! But Pitch had to admit that the girl was crafty. She had done so before against all odds. But the flying boat was gone now...

A thousand thoughts ran through his mind within mere seconds. He refused to believe that she was gone but since she was not there...

Pitch called her name and it echoed through his caves but there was no reply. The place sounded deserted, it _felt_ deserted and the Nightmare King felt himself shudder.

"She wouldn't" he said loudly to reassure himself and somehow it helped him to think more clearly. Perhaps the girl had been bored and had gone up to his observatory, but he shook his head. She would not go there without his permission... and there was only one other route she could have possibly taken.

Without hesitating, he took the path to the secluded valley in a hurry. The moment he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, Pitch realized that he had been running. He still could not get this idea of a fearling attack out of his head.

 _They could have dragged her off if they wanted to... if only to make me think she had run away..._

He stepped out into the twilight. The sun had only just set and the first stars were coming out. It was surprisingly warm for an autumn night. The Nightmare King did not even notice this much, he was way too worked up. He yelled her name again and merely a few meters away, the girl suddenly sat up in the grass and waved at him.

"I'm right here!" she whispered back, sounding a bit startled.

 _I knew I should have asked for permission. Will he get angry now? Probably not...he never gets angry when I expect it... but the way he called my name... he sounded a bit … what? Panicky?_

That would have been pretty much the right expression, but Melissa didn't know that. The moment Pitch saw her however, completely unharmed and well, he heaved a deep sigh of relief. So she had merely come out here … for what reason however. But she was alright. And she had not run away!

For a moment he felt like scolding her but then he thought again. She had not done anything wrong. This child was not his prisoner. She could go wherever she wanted and if she wanted to go back to her friends, he had no right to stand in her way whatsoever. The fact that she was still here...

"You've given me quite a fright" he admitted anyway and walked up to her. He didn't want to let it on, but he was quite satisfied by her guilty expression.

"I'm sorry" she whispered and looked down at the grass for a moment before she allowed herself to fall onto her back again and looked up at the sky.

"I know I should have asked for permission, but I didn't want to disturb you. And I also hadn't planned on staying out here that long... it just happened."

The Nightmare King watched her for a moment or two, taking in her strange getup. When he scanned the surrounding area, he saw her clothes on a low hanging branch. So she had come here to wash up. He did appreciate this. She had started to look rather run-down.

"So... what are you doing here?" he asked wondering just why she was lying flat on her back as if she had not a care in the world. She smiled up at him and then at the sky.

"What do you think?" she whispered almost teasingly.

Pitch looked up into the clear sky where more and more stars were quickly becoming visible now. He shook his head in wonder but then Melissa could hear him chuckle.

"You never grow tired of this, do you?"

The girl laughed silently and kept gazing at the darkening sky.

"No" she whispered with a smile.

"Personally... I prefer the telescopes" Pitch shrugged and looked back at the cave.

"I know you do" Melissa sighed. "But you should try this. It's different."

He watched her for another minute but since the girl did not seem willing to get up and inside, he decided to give in and do her the favor. He sat down next to her and then eased himself onto the ground until he was lying right next to her with his hands crossed behind his head. The first thing that struck him was the softness of the cool grass, the scents of the earth and that strange peaceful feeling that rushed over him.

Suddenly he understood what she had meant when she said "it's different." It was indeed very different from watching the stars through a device. This was less about looking at something but more About taking it in. The overwhelming vastness of the endless sky above and the millions of tiny lights. Many of them were suns that had planets of their own. There were whole worlds out there and even though he had seen it so many times before the Nightmare King was humbled by the sight above him. It made him feel so very small and insignificant. But at the same time it seemed to sooth his very soul.

"Nice, isn't it?" Melissa whispered next to him and all he could do was nod for a moment.

"You were right" he admitted about a minute later. "This is different, but not less enjoyable."

The girl turned her head and beamed at him. She was really quite proud because he had so fully agreed with her and due to his keen perception, he was aware of the look on her face.

He kept gazing at the sky for a while longer, enjoying the view and pondering about her and about himself. Pitch wasn't sure whether this new development was good or bad. He sure felt good for making her smile. Such a small statement, just a few words and he had managed to make her happy. And simply seeing her like this made him happy too. It was quite alarming. He had detested those human Sentiments, most likeley because he had believed that he could not ever feel that way himself. In fact, he had tried so very hard to get rid of this last bit of humanity, that still lived within him altogether. And now here he was, feeling happy, simply because he had made a child smile. What had happened? He wondered.

 _Perhaps it would have been better if I had left her out there to die. Everything would have been fine if I had never brought her here. She is doing something to me... but what?_

But then he shook his head. If he had left her there, she would have died, he would have gone through with his plan anyway and would have died too. So saving her back then, had definitively been the right thing. He had practically done himself a huge favor by doing so. Melissa had called his plan a suicide mission and she had been right. He had no idea how she could have possibly known that. Perhaps it had been intuition but he still had trouble understanding why she had been so desperately worried for him.

She had said that she owed him for saving her in the first place, but he was beginning to doubt that too. She had not owed him a thing. And their deal with the telescopes?

 _Bull... there was nothing to that! She just didn't want me to die! It's as simple as that. She saved my life more than once and not just that. There's also the matter of the fearlings and all the opportunities she had to run away. But why is she doing it? Why does she care so much?_

After a few minutes of silence, Melissa had forced her eyes away from the sparkling night sky and was watching him instead. She could tell that he was lost in thoughts and her curiosity kicked in. She managed to keep it in check for yet another few minutes but then... his expression was a bit disturbing.

"Pitch?" she asked silently but he didn't seem to hear her, even though he was barely a step away.

 _Why is he frowning like that? He looks so confused... what the heck is he thinking about?_

"Pitch!" she repeated but still there was no reaction. He was still looking up at the sky wondering if it could really be. Everyone feared him. He was the Nightmare King after all! The bad guy he had always been! A monster! Everyone considered him evil and they were right too!

 _I am evil, right? No one likes a person like me... so how can this be? What is wrong with that child? Even from the very start, she never feared me the way everyone else does..._

A moment later he nearly jumped out of his skin, when he felt a soft touch at his elbow.

"Hey Pitch!"

He looked around with a start and realized that the girl had propped herself up on her own elbows and had that slightly annoyed look on her face. A curious mix of worry and impatience that told him, that she had probably whispered his name a few times already.

"What's wrong?" she whispered when he was finally looking at her. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing important" he replied blandly.

"For something unimportant, you sure spend a lot of time pondering about it" she huffed but grinned at the same time.

 _What is that now? Is she trying to tease me?_

Melissa chuckled silently at his incredulous expression but she knew that no matter how much she pushed him, he would not share his thoughts with her. If he had wanted to tell her, he would have done so already. He was after all not as closed up as he used to be. So if he didn't want to talk about it, it was probably private and none of her business.

"I was just wondering..." he started and the surprised girl pricked her ears. Was he willing to talk after all? She rolled over onto her left side to face him and looked at him intently.

"About what?" she asked curiously.

"You" Pitch admitted quite frankly but without much of an expression.

The girl frowned at this but didn't say anything, she only gave him that inquiring glance.

"And me" he added when he noticed the question in her eyes.

Melissa cocked her head slightly at this. "What about us?"

"No idea" he sighed. "I have to figure it out first."

"Well, you live and learn, right?" she smiled and all of a sudden his expression changed and he smiled right back at her.

"Perfectly right! And talking about learning..." he sat up and got to his feet in one swift motion and then, to Melissa's surprise, he held out a hand to her invitingly. "I think it is time you learned how to read and write, come on!"

She took his hand and was on her feet in an instant but she looked quite dumbfounded.

"What are you saying? Are you offering to teach me?" she gasped and watched his grin spread wider.

"I might not be much of a teacher but I'll do my best" he promised. Melissa was lost for words but inside she was leaping for joy. This oh so fearsome Nightmare King was getting nicer every night!

"Awesome!" she breathed finally but when Pitch attempted to move her towards the cave she pulled back. "Wait! My clothes!"

"I think you look quite dashing in what you are wearing right now" he teased with a mischievous grin but the girl would not have it.

"If you are trying to flatter me, you will have to do better" she actually drawled, causing Pitch to raise an eyebrow but then he released her and she ran for her dress and the rest of her garments. They felt dry enough to be put back on.

Melissa looked back at him with a grin and then dashed off behind some bushes to change. The Nightmare King sighed and shook his head. He had been sincere enough. He really liked to see her wearing the same color as himself. Somehow it made her look like she belonged here - with im. But he understood that she wanted that heavy blue thing back. It was something that tied her to the Guardians and her friend Katherine and the mere thought vexed him quite a bit.

He would not push her, however. Pitch knew that if he did it would only end in disaster. In time perhaps she would want to get rid of this thing and sew herself something more appropriate. He would offer it to her some time later, she might even like the idea.

 _Provided that she is actually really staying with me..._

And every time this thought went through his mind a small voice in the very back of it reminded him that he could still turn her. The Nightmare King shook his head at this. It was completely out of the question. There was not a single thing he would want to change about her, except perhaps for her voice. But he had no idea what to do about this detail and turning her into a fearling princess or whatever would certainly not help.

But before his thoughts could ruin his good mood the girl came running back to him, looking like herself again and she was still smiling brightly. She was obviously looking forward to what was coming.

The moment she stood before him however and announced that she was ready her expression suddenly became thoughtful, then serious and even a bit nervous.

"Look Pitch" she said chewing on her lower lip. "I really appreciate that you want to teach me. And I wish we could start right now, but..."

"But?" he prompted her. What was the problem?

"I... I still have your robe to finish" she stammered and gave him an apologetic shrug. Pitch took a step back in surprise. He had expected a lot of things from lack of confidence to fear that he might punish her if she didn't get it right away... anything but not this. It almost made him laugh but the girl was still talking... well whispering.

"... and you know... I have managed almost fifteen years without reading and writing and all this stuff. I don't think another day or night will matter. I really don't want to leave this unfinished... so would it be alright if I did the sewing first? I promise I will do it as quickly as possible..."

Pitch could barely contain himself. He shook his head in disbelief and held up both hands. Melissa's mouth instantly snapped shut.

"Why are you so worried about this?" he asked finally when he noticed her almost frightened expression.

"Well, I... I just rememberd how you reacted when I told you that I never had that kind of education. I think it really bothers you. That's why you want to teach me, Right? And you can't imagine how much I appreciate your offer." she admitted. "And if it really is so important to you..."

 _Silly child..._

"I thought you would know me better by now." The Nightmare King interrupted her rambling.

Melissa looked up at this and noticed that his mood didn't seem spoiled in the least. In fact, he looked more amused than angry and was obviously trying to hide another lopsided grin.

"Did you really think I would get angry? Because of this?" he asked and still could not believe it.

The girl's eyes had grown so wide, they looked almost ridiculous in her small face. But then it split into a wide smile. She shook her head. "No, that's not it" she almost laughed herself.

"It's not?"

"Not really" she admitted. "I only thought you might be disappointed... perhaps."

Pitch chuckled. "If I had not learned patience, Liz, I would have perished aeons ago. Now stop it. You really have nothing to worry about."

She even appreciated his words but did not quite agree with this statement. In fact she had quite a lot to worry about, but she did not object. And besides, Pitch was already pushing her along and back into the dark caves. Melissa cast one last longing glance at the night sky before she was once more swallowed up by the darkness.

Perhaps ten minutes later, she was hard at work again and Pitch had left to find her some breakfast. His absence made her a bit nervous and she kept a watchful eye at the surrounding shadows. The fearlings however didn't show themselves. But when Pitch did not return after what felt like a long time she could not help but worry again.

Melissa could not concentrate on her work, instead she kept her eyes on the spot where the Nightmare King had disappeared.

 _What is taking him so long? What if something has happened to him?_

More time passed and the girl could no longer sit still. She put down her work and started pacing around, trying to calm down and figure out what to do if he didn't come back. The idea sent shivers down her spine. What could possibly have happened?

But only a moment later, she heard a sound behind her and she whirled around half in fear, half in anticipation. Before she even saw Pitch step out of the shadows, she could hear him mutter a few silent curses and knew instantly that something had happened. His good spirits were all but gone but that didn't stop Melissa.

She nearly flew at him, still upset but so relieved. "Where have you been? What took you so long? I was so scared!" she hollered silently but then she realized the state of her host, his messy robes and hair and the puddle that had formed around his feet. "... and why the heck are you soaking wet?"

The Nightmare King ignored the girls questions and then dropped the small basked he was carrying on the workbench. Whatever it held was completely drenched as well. "Sorry about that. I think the fruit is still edible" was his only comment. Then he turned around and stalked off towards his room.

Melissa hesitated for perhaps a second, then she dashed after him and caught up with him an instant later. "Pitch? What happened to you?"

He was still ignoring her and trying to just walk away. Melissa frowned at this and gave his soaking robes a rather resolute tug. That finally made him stop, but when he looked down at her the girl wished, she had just let him go.

"I really don't want to talk about it" he muttered blankly and then turned his back on her again. The moment he reached his private chambers, he turned around shortly and looked back at her.

"Go and have some breakfast. I just need... some time to think" he excused himself and disappeared into the gloom.

Melissa gulped down the lump that had formed in the back of her throat and kept staring at the dark curtain that covered the entrance to his private chamber. There was no way she could make him tell her what had happened but she knew that it could not possibly be good. But since there was nothing she could do right now anyway, she followed his advise and sat down to inspect the contents of that basket.

Most of it was truly ruined but the few pears and plums he had found were alright. There was even a bit of cheese that had been wrapped up so neatly that it had stayed dry.

She was not really feeling hungry but ate some anyway. Melissa had noticed that her dress was not fitting her as tightly as it used to and she knew she had to eat more. But Pitch was already going through so much trouble to provide her with at least one square meal per day. She really didn't want to cause him more trouble.

The girl let her mind wander as she put the basket away and went back to her sewing. Perhaps she should try to find her own food, but there was nothing to be found inside those caves. There were no animals to hunt out in that small vale and she had not seen any plants that looked edible. But according to Pitch, this was North America after all and she was not at all familiar with the local flora and fauna.

One thing she had noticed however was that there were fish in that lake. Perhaps making a fishing rod would be her next project. She smiled at the idea and held up her work. There was not so much to do now. All that was left was to attach the sleeves to the rest of the thing and Melissa was already quite proud of herself and even more amazed by the material. She could barely believe she had used this stuff to make sails for that boat! It possessed so many awesome qualities! It was wonderfully light and easy to work with and it was incredibly comfortable to wear.

She looked down on herself and shrugged. That dress North had given her was beautiful indeed but it was made for the climate of Siberia. Pitch's caves, no matter how dank and dark, were not really that cold.

 _Maybe I will ask Pitch later if he will allow me to sew myself a new dress from this stuff... once he's done thinking... I wish I knew what happened to him earlier. He looked as if someone had dumped a barrel of water over him …_

Melissa frowned at this as she kept sewing and wondering who would do something so mean. It would however explain why he had looked so terribly crestfallen. His expression had been telling enough. Whatever had happened had not been an accident. He hadn't simply walked into some bad weather. Someone had attacked him, she was sure of that now. But who? And why?

 _Wait a second... bad weather?_

"Ouch!" she yelped silently as she pricked her finger on the needle. Muttering a silent curse, the girl stared down at the tiny red droplet on her fingertip before she thoughtfully stuck it into her mouth. It must have been her – Mother Nature. Who else could have soaked him like that? She was Melissa's best guess and she was quite sure now that she was right about it.

But that mighty woman had saved the Nightmare King's life only a few days ago. And now she tried to drown him? It just didn't make any sense!

 _That woman really needs to sort out her priorities! What is it that she wants?_

Melissa looked up and around at the door across the workshop, feeling fairly uneasy about this. She understood now why Pitch was so upset but what was she supposed to do now? She really wanted to know what had happened but there was no way she could force him to tell her. And she could not just go in there and confront him with such a blunt question.

 _That would be rude and really tactless... I'll need some sort of excuse to... of course!_

The robe she had been working on was almost done. Only the last sleeve was missing and it would not take her much time to finish it. She started working again with renewed concentration and purpose, looking up every now and then but there was no sound or sign from her host or his loathsome minions. But Melissa could feel a tension in the air and she was not quite sure whether it came from Pitch, the fearlings that were surely around somewhere or herself.

A bit more than an hour had passed when the girl finally held her work up and looked at it from all sides, checking for any flaws. It was nothing fancy, as she had promised, but it looked alright. Now all it had to do was fit! And there was only one way to find out.

She looked around one more time but the workshop was still completely silent and deserted. Melissa shrugged at this and then tiptoed over to the door that let to the Nightmare King's small refuge.

He had said that he needed to think but when she carefully peeked into the room she wondered a bit about his methods. Pitch was on his bed and flat on his belly. He had his face buried in his pillow as if trying to suffocate himself. Melissa wondered if that was in fact possible for him at all and she frowned at the sight. Then however, as her eyes adjusted to the darker gloom of this small chamber, she could see him breathe quite clearly, she could hear it too. He had discarded his ruined robe and it was now dangling from a hook on a wall across the room. A small puddle had formed beneath it.

The Nightmare King seemed oblivious to her presence and for all she could tell it looked as if he was sleeping.

 _If he has managed to fall asleep after whatever had happened earlier, it really can't be that bad... I hope..._

The thought gave her a bit of courage and she steeled herself mentally for whatever would come her way. Then she dared to whisper his name but she was quite nervous and not nearly loud enough for him to hear her. She tried again, with a bit more force and then slapped her palm against the rocky frame of the entrance. It caused a clapping sound that was louder than she had anticipated.

Melissa nearly jumped at the noise she had made but she was not the only one. Pitch whirled around on his bed and was sitting up much faster than she would have given him credit for. His strange luminescent eyes were wide with alarm and his hands were searching the sheets around him for something to defend himself with.

The girl nearly dropped the robe in fright as she quickly held up both hands defensively before her.

"Calm down, Pitch. It's just me!" she whispered fearfully.

This time he did hear her and a moment later his eyes were focused on her face. Then she could hear him sigh with relief.

Normally the thought of startling, or even scaring the Nightmare King would have amused her but right now, she felt quite bad about it.

"I'm so... sorry" she breathed quickly. "I... I really didn't mean to... intrude or annoy you or... or startle you in any way..." she stammered on while Pitch was calming down quickly. He watched her as she was fidgeting around and nearly tumbling over her own words.

"What an odd little creature" he thought. "She's bold and fearless one minute and the next time I turn around, she is so full of insecurity."

Then however as he studied her frightened face he realized that it was not her who was moody or unstable. It was him! She was merely reacting to his own emotional state. He was the one who had been all gloomy earlier and now frightened by the smallest noise. He had startled her too and it was only natural that she was scared.

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed, not taking his eyes off her for a minute.

"It's alright" he said gently when Melissa finally ran out of words to apologize with and merely stared at him warily.

 _It's alright?_

She could not help but give him a rather doubtful glance. "Really?" she whispered.

"Really" he assured her but he did look and sound a bit weary. Had he really been asleep? In the middle of the night?

"So?" he asked finally, trying to get rid of the tension and put her and himself a bit more at ease "What is it?"

"Oh" the girl sighed and looked down at the robe that hung innocently over her arm. "I only wanted to tell you that it's ready. At least I hope it is. I was just wondering if you would be willing to … er... "

She was still nervous and Pitch managed a smile. "To try it on?" he helped her out and she nodded but kept her distance.

He decided to push those nasty thoughts that had been circling around in his mind aside for the past hour and nodded.

"Sure" he said and prompted her to come closer. "Let's see what you've got."

Melissa took a deep breath and forced her feet to move forward. When she finally stood just beside him, she held out her work and he took it from her without hesitation.

The girl took a careful step backwards and watched him as he turned the piece of cloth over this and that way, looking at it from all sides. He actually admired all the work she had put into it. All those tiny stitches by those small hands.

It was quite plain, as she had said. She was good at sewing but no master tailor, but Pitch actually liked what he was looking at. He decided not to disappoint her and got to his feet. Without further ado, he slipped the thing over his head.

The Nightmare King found it easy to put on. Much easier than the one he used to wear and then the folds just fell down around him to his ankles and he felt rather comfortable in it. It felt like a perfect fit.

Melissa had been standing near by, nervously chewing on her lower lip again. "Please fit, please fit, please fit... " she was thinking over and over like a mantra. But when she noticed his wide, appreciative smile she finally relaxed a bit.

"How is it?" she dared to ask.

"I don't know what it looks like on me" Pitch admitted with a wink "But it feels good. What do you think?"

"Me?" she wondered and then shrugged. "I think it's... alright. Don't you have a mirror?"

The Nightmare King chuckled but he could see plainly that she was quite taken by her work and was just being modest. "I don't" he stated simply. "But I trust your judgment. I like it and I really appreciate your effort. I think you have done a wonderful job, so stop being so tense about it!"

Melissa gasped. "You like it? Really?"

Pitch nodded and ran his hands over the smooth and silky material. "I do!" he assured her and meant it too. When he saw that relieved smile on her face he nodded. "That's better! So... do you still want to learn how to read and write?"

For only an instant her jaw dropped at the sudden change of topic but then she grinned back at him brightly and nodded. She too decided to push all those uncomfortable questions on her mind aside and just let things take their course for now.

 _I can still ask him later... when the timing is better._

But when they were sitting at that bench in the workshop with books and parchment and a few scraps of writing charcoal that Pitch had brought back from this last trip, neither of them was able to concentrate on the tasks at hand.

Melissa did her best to do what she was told and kept copying letters he showed her on a piece of parchment. She understood what she was doing and what was expected of her, but her mind kept wandering off.

 _How am I supposed to ask him about it? Should I even ask? I really do want to know what happened... but he doesn't want to talk about it! Of course he doesn't! If it really was her... but what could she have wanted? Was it something about me? What am I supposed to do again? Ah... right … the letters... crap, where was I?_

Pitch barely noticed that she had drifted off. He had watched her scribbling down scraggy looking letters as he had told her, but the incident earlier kept playing over and over in his mind and he too didn't know what to do.

 _Perhaps I should tell her... but what will she say? No I can't … not now. But I will have to come to a decision... and soon. I really don't want to do that... I can't do it! But she will ask sooner or later... she knows something happened! What in the realms of darkness am I supposed to do?_

He forced himself to focus and instantly became aware of the fact that his young pupil was sitting beside him, staring into space. The letters she had copied looked rather good but she seemed to be lost in thoughts and had stopped working.

"What's wrong?" he asked and instantly she looked up at him with that guilty expression. Then she stared back at her parchment.

"Sorry" she sighed and her whispering voice sounded a bit tired. "I just can't concentrate."

"And why is that?" he wanted to know but he had a pretty good idea what was keeping her mind so occupied.

"I can't help wondering what she did to you earlier and what she might have wanted."

The Nightmare King sat up straight.

"She?"

"Yes" Melissa whispered almost angrily. "I know it was her and I know it is none of my business... but I just can't help thinking about it all the time!"

There, she had said it - just like that. But in consideration of the fact that she had already given herself away, there was just no point in beating around the bush.

"Her..." Pitch repeated in a whisper of his own and stared at the child who seemed so twitchy that she was barely able to hold his gaze. But as he watched her, he noticed a sudden spark in her deep blue eyes and her expression changed. Where there had been insecurity before there was now determination and the fear he had seen there before was replaced by defiance.

"I _know_ it was her, so don't even try to deny it!" she whispered quite forcefully.

Pitch watched her for yet another few moments until he shook his head. Instantly he noticed how the sparkle in her eyes increased as her temper mounted. Her mouth opened but before she could even say a word, he held up his left hand and interrupted her.

"I am not denying it."

Melissa had been ready to scold him for lying to her but those few words had instantly taken the wind out of her sails.

"You... are not?"

"No" he admitted simply but then studied her face more intently... curiously. "But how did you figure it out?"

She shrugged and wondered why it had taken her so long after all. It had been so obvious and actually...

"It was written all over your face... over all of you in fact" she admitted. "It really wasn't that difficult."

For yet another few seconds the Nightmare King was not quite sure how to respond to this. He stared down at his own odd hands, the right one stood out brightly against the black fabric of his new robe.

"But I just don't understand why she did that" Melissa whispered when he said nothing. "Just the other day she saved your life... so why would she try to down you now?"

That made him look up.

 _I'll have to tell her... she has a right to know... and then I will have to take her back to her friends. Whether I like it or not, she can't stay here..._

"She didn't" he sighed. "It was merely a warning."

"A warning?" the girl gasped. She remembered clearly how he had looked and seemed when he had come back earlier. How could that have been a warning? "What did she want?"

"To remind me of our deal" Pitch replied simply and watched her frown. He knew she had been listening to that conversation back then, before he had first brought her here. But he was not sure how much of it she had actually heard and understood.

Melissa said nothing but watched him intently. Sometimes his expression was more telling than his words, and right now he seemed to feel really uncomfortable but also thoughtful as if he was thinking very hard about what to say next.

And Pitch was indeed pondering how he should bring the news to her. He didn't even want to do it but he knew he had to. He wished he had never left his caves this evening... none of this would have happened. What would she say? Would she feel as bad about this as he did? Or would she be happy?

He looked up from his thoughts and around at her and was actually a bit surprised that she had remained quiet. Weren't children supposed to be curious? And impatient? But there she was, just looking up at him with her writing tools neatly on the table before her. And she was curious, he could see that clearly but she did not push him. She was simply waiting for him to sort out his thoughts.

 _Such a strange child... way to grown up sometimes for her age..._

"That other day... just before I brought you here..." he started and looked down at the parchment on the table. "She had made it perfectly clear then that she was my only child - for good or ill - and for any attempt to turn your friend Katherine into one of my own I would face severe consequences."

He looked at her face to see her reaction but she simply nodded. "I remember that quite clearly" she admitted before she looked up at him through squinted eyes. "But I don't understand what the problem is. Katherine is back with Ombric and North!"

"That is true" Pitch nodded. "But _you_ are _here_."

This simple statement caused Melissa's jaw to drop slightly. It was true, she was here... but what did that have to do with anything?

"But..." she gasped. "I thought this was about Katherine and you making her your darkling princess or something!"

The Nightmare King shook his head yet again as the girl scratched her head, thinking for a moment. So it was not just about Katherine, but probably about anyone who might be a potential... Melissa's eyes widened all of a sudden.

 _This is it? She thinks I could replace her... she's jealous? She's jealous of me, because I am here spending time with her father and she's not? Where is that my fault? She could be here! She should! But she had to act up like a spoiled brat..._

"So what?" she huffed suddenly. "It's not like you have adopted me or anything and as far as I can tell, you have not turned me either. What is her problem? What does she want?"

She looked up at him inquiringly but he only stared back at her with a look in his strange eyes that made her feel very queer. There was a sudden tenderness in them, mixed with sorrow and perhaps a bit of guilt. Her stomach gave a sudden lurch as if someone had pulled a rug out from under her feet. She inched away from him nervously, trying to create some distance but could not look away from his eyes.

 _What is this? Why is he looking at me like this. What is he thinking?_

"You're right" he said blankly. "I have done neither, but she doesn't know that."

"You didn't tell her?" the girl gasped in spite of herself.

"I didn't really get a chance to do much talking" he said quietly.

 _Right, I've been too busy spitting out water... she didn't even give me a chance to explain. But she wouldn't have listened anyway, would she?_

Melissa had no comment to offer for that latest remark but she was wondering and she still felt quite uncomfortable.

"But I believe she thinks that I am planning to do exactly this..." he mumbled silently.

"What?" the girl whispered warily. "Turn me into a fearling? Would you really..."

"I'd never!" he cut her short, looking stern and clearly a bit upset. "You are not my prisoner, Melissa! You are free to go wherever you want to go! I think you know that. If you want to return to your friends just mention it. I would take you there in an instant!"

She stared up at him in disbelief. He had sounded so strange. Upset, yes, but also strained and tired. But why? Was he tired of her? Did he want her gone? Then she wondered whether she wanted to go back, to return to Santoff Claussen, to her friends, to Katherine. But were they still her friends? Then she suddenly remembered what the Man in the Moon had told her. He had wanted her to follow her heart.

 _I've done that, haven't I? I did what I thought was the right thing... but he attacked me. That missile had been aimed at me! What would they do if I suddenly showed up on their doorstep?_

She glanced up at his dark face nervously chewing on her lower lip. She didn't really want to hear his answer but she had to know.

"Pitch?" she asked shakily. "Do you... want me to leave?"

Their eyes met and neither of them looked away until Pitch shook his head. "No" he said then but there was a sadness in his eyes that nearly startled the girl. "But I think it would be safer for you. If you stay here... There's no knowing what she might do. You've seen what she's like. She is as unpredictable … as the weather!"

"In a manner of speaking" the girl nodded but then shook her head quickly. "But I can't go back there!"

"Why?" the Nightmare King asked in sudden surprise. Why would she not want to go back there? Those people were her friends!

"Don't you remember what happened?" she gasped. "At the Moon? When we were attacked? That shot was aimed at me! What makes you think that they would not kill me on sight? I think I'd rather take my chances with that deranged daughter of yours!"

Pitch scowled at her for a moment and Melissa promptly bit her lip. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to badmouth her. I'm just... " she sighed deeply while the Nightmare King kept watching her with a frown.

"You know... I can even understand her to some extend. I know what it is like to be lost and alone without parents... but I kind of understand you too, because I've been here all this time. I think I know how you feel about her. Perhaps you should go and find her... talk to her and clear things up... because... I really don't want to leave."

Pitch pulled a face at her words. The mere thought seemed ridiculous. To find her and talk to her? It sounded like madness... impossible! How was he supposed to find Mother Nature? What would he even say to her? She would not listen anyway! But maybe the girl was right yet again. Perhaps she really was deranged. But perhaps he could still help her... there was no such thing as to late. Perhaps he could still make it up to her somehow and they could be a proper family again.

He shook his head and sighed deeply. There was no way he could just confront her like that. To him, she was a perfect stranger. He knew she was his daughter, his little girl, but he knew nothing about her, he remembered nothing... nothing but a picture inside a silver locket. He didn't even know her name.

Then he suddenly looked up with a start. The girl's last words echoed through his mind and he stared at her in confusion.

"You... don't want to leave?"

She had watched him thinking and contemplating and had not interrupted his thoughts but when he so suddenly addressed her again, she managed a smile and shook her head. "Not for the wide world" she assured him. "I have been on the road for so many years. And since then, I have never spent as much time in one place as I have here. I really don't want to leave... this place feels like home, despite the fearlings."

"And in spite of me?" he asked almost teasingly and for the first time in what seemed like forever, he saw the girl laugh. No sound came out of her mouth but he could see the mirth on her face and that amazing sparkle in her eyes.

"It would not feel like home, if it wasn't for you" she chuckled. "But don't worry. Even you can't replace my father" she added suddenly with a wry grin. "No one can replace a real parent, and besides … you are like... what … a couple of hundred years old? You are way too old to be my father! You could perhaps be my great, great, great, great, great..." she started counting down what she imagined generations on her hands until Pitch grasped them tightly in his own.

"Alright, enough! I get your point!" he scolded but when Melissa looked up she could see the corners of his mouth twitch. Then he let out a low chuckle. "But I would have adopted you gladly anyway, not as a fearling but just as you are."

For only an instant she was a bit startled but then she smiled up at him. "Seriously?" she gasped in wonder but then her face fell a bit. "I think I would like that. But I'd never get anywhere between you and Mother Nature unless she attacks you again. Don't you think we could..."

"No" Pitch said before she could even finish what she was about to say. "She is beyond reason and so am I. I can't just seek her out. I don't even know her! The only thing I know is that she is my daughter, my child but I can't remember a thing about her."

"But you want to remember, don't you?" Melissa prompted and saw him nod.

"I wish I could remember. I wish I'd remember something... just her name at least"

Melissa nodded understandingly and wondered what it must feel like. She tried to imagine what Mother Nature might have been like when she was a child, like in that picture inside Pitch's locket. She had never seen it herself but Katherine had told her about it. The thought of Katherine brought her thoughts back on track. That girl was still her dear friend, something like a soul mate, a sister even. But was she still thinking that same way about her? Melissa had done what she thought was right, she had done what she had believed Katherine would have done if she had been in her place.

Together they had saved Pitch from certain doom in Punjam Hy Loo. She knew Kat had not wanted him to die. She lived through that desperate moment again inside her mind. All the fighting, the monkeys screeching, the Guardians battling along with that feathered queen, Toothiana... and the flying elephant... she remembered the story Mr Qwerty and the grand high Lama had told them at the Lunar Lamadary.

And then she suddenly sat up as straight as an arrow as an idea struck her.

"Liz?" Pitch asked suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked up with a start.

"You spaced out" the Nightmare King said almost gently. "Are you tired?"

But Melissa shook her head. "No, not one bit. But Pitch... you do want to remember your daughter, don't you?"

He just nodded blankly and stared at the girl's wide eyes in confusion.

"I was just thinking... perhaps the flying Elephant could help you with that."

* * *

 **Just a reminder: Reviews are a writer's bread and butter. So please tell me what you think and thank you for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

Back in Santoff Claussen things were going there usual way... well as long as long distance travel on a daily basis were considered usual. Katherine had come back here with Ombric and the other children. Nicholas was needing some privacy at his newly established headquarters at the North Pole and inspired by his ambition, Bunnymund too had made plans for a brand new project. He was currently digging out a huge place deep underground, not a dark cave but a place filled with light and life. He kept inventing new plants and flowers that would flourish in his new home, a new center of learning and dreaming and most of all, hoping.

He had learned much in the months that had passed since he had met those Santoff Claussen people. He had given up on humanity at some point but since he had gotten to know them, new hope had awoken within his heart. As long as there were people like this, hope could not be lost. And he would not abandon it ever again. The human race was volatile and easily corrupted but hope was something that kept them going, something that kept them on a good patch.

And therefore he had decided to build himself a warren filled with that specific human sentiment. He made it the center of his efforts. His goal was now to spread hope throughout the world and the children of Santoff Claussen seemed to appreciate this. There were always two or three that came to help him with shovels and new inventions of their own that could dig holes or plant flowers or even trees in his underground wonderland.

Even Katherine and Nightlight had been here a few times now, but the children were not as they used to be. They were more quiet than the other kids and kept more to themselves. They were more grown up, which was no surprise as Katherine was the oldest, next to the tallest William, who had been down here almost every day to help him.

"I am not only the tallest but also the physically strongest" she had said when he had showed up the first time with a smug grin and a heavy shovel over his shoulder. "I know I can't dig nearly as fast as you, Master Bunnymund, but I will pledge myself to your service. And Papa has his hands full with my younger brothers anyway."

And soon the warren was beginning to take shape and bloom with delightful flowers and grass as lush and green as it could not be found anywhere else in the world.

In the meantime, Ombric was going about the daily chores of keeping the village save but as of late, Queen Toothiana kept popping in on him all of a sudden with half an army of chirping, faerie sized little selves in tow. She called those visits calls or curtsey, she wanted to keep in touch and Ombric understood her quite well. Even with all those tiny fluttering beings around she felt lonely from time to time and felt the need to come and speak with someone other than herself.

But she was neither a distraction nor a nuisance at all. She showed great interest in magic and wanted to find out as much as she could about the mysterious relics they all possessed. Ombric told her as much as he knew gladly but Toothiana's thirst for knowledge seemed to have no limits. She wanted to know everything. Specially about the Golden Age and the royal families that had ruled at that time. It was more than even Ombric was able to provide.

"You know, dear" he said. "You might want to seek out our Nocturnal Magnificence, the Sandman to find out more. He has greater knowledge of those past and far away events than I have. I am only a humble researcher and knowledge seeker. Sandy is the closest thing to an eye witness that you can get."

Toothiana nodded at this but didn't leave. "There is something else on my mind, dear Ombric" she said and the wizard pricked his ears at the amiable way she talked to him. He knew instantly that there was something she wanted very much but was too humble to ask for it.

He smiled at her and prompted her to speak. The feathered queen was quite fidgety about her request but finally she spat it out. "It's about Punjam Hy Loo. The place, my home, is in ruins. I can't deny that the Nightmare King's insults have gotten to me. He was right somehow. I have been trying to rebuild it but even when I become more than one, I can not do it alone... so I was wondering and hoping that perhaps you might help me. Your powers are great and those of your friends too. I know the Pooka is currently working on a magnificent warren of his own. And I... well... I am running out of space inside the temple of the flying Elephant to store all those memories... so I ..."

"Toothy, Dear!" Ombric interrupted her, unable to hold back a rather wide and superior grin. "I have been waiting for weeks for you to ask me!" The old wizard laughed right out. "I already have plans for a most wonderful palace in Punjam Hy Loo. It will suit your needs perfectly. Come along, dear. I will show you my notes. I am sure you will approve."

Toothiana was baffled to no ends, but she was even more astounded when she saw the blueprints Ombric had already prepared. The old wizard had really put a lot of thought and effort into it. She was amazed and impressed and she loved it even more because a friend had done this for her, even though it was just a plan.

"Oh dear moon" she blurted out in delight as dozens of tiny Toothianas chirped and twittered around her. "Ombric, this is amazing! It is wonderful! And more than sufficient... but how are you planning to build all of this?"

"My dear Toothiana, Guardian of Memories, you are not alone in this world. You have powerful friends who will help you. North's place at the pole is complete, Bunny's warren is almost done, I know that Sanderson has his own place already... a floating island of golden sand... and I am here in Santoff Claussen. We will all be ready and willing to build your palace. We will all help you to make this marvel come true, if you want it. I bet the children would be thrilled to help as well as it would be the hoard of their most wonderful childhood memories!"

"Oh Ombric... you really think so?" she chirped excitedly but then her face contorted slightly. "But those memories will also contain Pitch... they have all seen him, they have met him. Those memories are awful and to think that one of the children is actually with him right now..."

"Melissa" Ombric nodded. "Another orphan. She had only arrived at Santoff Claussen two days before we first met but she and Katherine seemed to have become friends immediately. The poor dear was quite disturbed though. She had watched her father being torn to pieces by a pack of wolves. Dariusz, the head of that new family that moved in with us that day told me so. They found her and brought her along. She must have been sitting on that tree for … the moon knows how long, literally screaming her lungs out. When he found her, she had not been able to produce a sound. Her vocal chords had been ruined beyond healing."

"Oh my" Toothiana whispered in dismay and clasped her hands over her mouth. But Ombric already held up a hand. "However, Bunnymund told me that he had offered her to create a chocolate with the ability to cure her and he had proposed it to her. According to him, she had been perfectly thrilled about it. He could have restored her voice."

"But she abandoned that hope and went along with Pitch!" Toothiana murmured thougthfully and then she shook her head, sending that prominent golden feather on her forehead swaying. "She even went out of her way and flew all the way to the moon... to save that... that monster... from _us_! Ombric... whose side is that child on?"

The wizard looked older than he ever had in his long life. He shrugged his shoulders weakly and looked up at the energetically fluttering creature before him. "I don't know, Tooth. I heard what Manny said but even I can't see the scheme behind this. I am not sure what he is thinking but the way he looked at me told me that I probably _should_ know. He believes Melissa is the key to the door that will open the way to that new Golden Age. I can't believe he told us to do nothing. He even asked us not to go looking for her. I wish she was here with us and safe. I hate thinking about her... with Pitch!"

"Ombric..." Toothiana whispered softly and placed a delicate hand on the old man's shoulder. "Don't you trust Manny? I don't like the idea any more than you do, and I do want to know what is going on in that girl's mind. I wish I had had a chance to meet her before all of this. Perhaps then I would be able to understand why she is doing this. But Ombric..." she looked into the wizards eyes as she hovered before him. "Even though I don't know this child... I don't even have her teeth... I believe in her and Manny seems to do so too. You should try and have a little faith. Manny's orders were clear. Just let things take their course and … wait! What is that?" she pressed a hand to her temple as if she was developing a headache but then her eyes grew wide.

"It's the Elephant! Something is up in Punjam Hy Loo! I must go!"

"No!" Ombric grasped her wrist and smiled at her with new courage and determination. " _We_ must go, and we will not go alone!"

Miles away at the North Pole, Nicholas was trying to organize the amazing place he had set up. A few dozens of yetis had volunteered to join him and they were currently gathering around him awaiting orders.

Nicholas knew what he wanted to do, but was not quite sure how to do it. He had called Yaloo, the leader of the abominable snowman, to his side and was discussing the matters at hand with him. He had mastered their language in no time and was now quite fluent.

"Look around you, Nick" Yaloo said impatiently growling at the young Guardian. "What is it that you want for this world? Humans are humans, they are hopeless! They are eager to create but they lack the imagination and wonder necessary to create anything sensible. Every time they build something new, they destroy something else in the process!"

"And I am one of them!" Nicholas hollered back. He had heard enough of that. He had had a chat with Bunnymund and was determined not to loose hope in mankind. He was also determined to fight any power of darkness in order to bring about this new Golden Age the Man in the Moon... no... Manny had mentioned.

They had the power to do all of this, to bring an era of peace and happiness to this world if they only followed their instincts, their hearts. Manny had told him so and his mind told him to create a center of joy and wonder for all the dreamers and free minds of the world right here. And he had done so! There were halls full of light and wonders to discover, but no one but the children of Stantoff Claussen had been here. North needed ways to spread the word, but how would people get out here? So far away from any civilization?

 _Maybe I made a mistake... but no. There is not one place more magical and mysterious. It must remain that way. There must be an air of mystery and secrecy about it! But if I can't bring children from all over the world here..._

His eyes suddenly grew to the size of saucers and Yaloo realized that sparkle in them. It was always amazing to watch North when a new idea struck him. His job was done for now. There was no better way to get North's mind working than to push his buttons a bit. He had riled him up enough and now just smiled at him expectantly.

Nicholas looked around the room they were in. It was gigantic and almost circular with many floors that twisted around its center. From here he could look all the way up to the ceiling far above. The place was still empty, except for a few workbenches. He had hoped some of the people from Santoff Claussen would join him here. The place was perfect for inventing. But they had left again, apologizing to him. The hidden village in Siberia was their home and North would not force them to move.

But now, with his mind's eye, he saw the place crowded and full of activity. New and wonderful things were being created. Things that would light up the eyes of any child. Things that would inspire dreams and imagination.

"If I can't bring people from all over the world here..." he said quite clearly in the tongue of the Yeti "I will bring a bit of here to them!"

"What do you have in mind?" Yaloo asked, stroking his whiskers while the other Yetis came closer, curious and eager to hear every word.

"Toys" North said with a wide smile. "Let us invent and build things children will love and cherish. And then we will travel around the world and hand them out as presents!"

"That is a nice thought, Nicholas" Yaloo said and some of his conspecifics shrugged and exchanged curious glances. "But how will you get those presents to those lucky kids? How will you transport them? By Egg-Train? Bunnymund will spend the rest of his life digging until the world looks like a Swiss cheese."

North pondered for a moment but then one of his short elvish friends tucked at his pants and he looked down at the silent little fellow.

"What is it Sergei?" the ex Cossack wondered but the little one just grinned and held his small hands up to his head, he spread his fingers indicating antlers and then lowered them again and made a swishing movement through the air to show something flying.

North's smile nearly took in his ears. "Brilliant idea! I will use the sleigh!"

He had fashioned himself a fantastic sleigh indeed and Nightlight had done a wonderful job with the giant reindeer. They were now able to fly on their own, without the help of the spectral boy. North had already tested their ability when the fearlings had attacked Nightlight and Sandy when they had brought Katherine back and it had been marvelous. With his sleigh and those flying creatures he would be able to make it around the globe in perhaps less than twenty-four hours!

"Will you give out those presents for a special occasion?" one of the abominable snowmen asked. "For birthdays perhaps?" another one added. "Will you give them to every child in the world?" a rather short one inquired. "You will need more help, if that is the case!" an incredibly fat one pointed out.

Nicholas listened to all of them until they ran out of things to ask. He looked at each of them in turn, but his smile didn't waver. "I am sure we will find a way. What I know already is that I will not give them out at random. It all has to happen in one night. A special night. A night during the darkest time of the year, when people need not only a bright fire to warm their bodies but also a bright light to warm their hearts and souls."

Then he just sat down on one of the brand new workbenches and started to think. The Yetis backed away and left him to his thoughts but they were already discussing what kinds of toys they might make for the children of the world... and most of all, what kinds of sweets they would bake for them.

North had been sitting in silence for a bout ten minutes, thinking hard and working out plans on his new goal when he felt the connection. It was Toothiana... and Ombric. There was trouble! And he knew that everyone else, Bunnymund, Sandy, Nightlight and Katherine had heard the call as well. He had to be on his way. This would be yet another chance to launch his wonderful sleigh into the air.

When the call came, Katherine and Nightlight were actually not far away from it's source. They were sitting in the topmost branches of Big Root in Santoff Claussen, discussing their plans for the future. They both knew they were meant to stay together and they both wanted that more than anything. But they were so concerned about their new friend Melissa.

"I trust Lunar... er Manny" Nightlight said quietly. "He has been my dear friend forever, I remember that now. I used to watch over him when he was an infant. The Lunanoff's had always been my friends... my family even. But now you are my family, Katherine. And I will not make the same mistake twice. I will not leave you... ever!"

"Thank you, Nightlight" the girl sighed but she was smiling. "I just can't believe Melissa never told me about what Manny said to her. But he must have done so secretly, no one noticed it at all. But I am sure that she is doing the right thing. She knew I didn't want Pitch to die back in Punjam Hy Loo and she helped me to save him there. And then she somehow escaped from her prison and instead of running away, she flew to the Moon to save him yet again... I never thought she had that in her."

"She has the same kind of heart you have" Nightlight agreed and wrapped his arm around the auburn-haired girls shoulder. "You are so much alike" he rambled on. "I never knew this kind of sentiment. For me, everything was just black and white until now. There were good people and bad people, I never knew how to look in between. But when I kissed you... to break that spell... something happened. I broke more than one spell then. And when we were on the Moon and you ran to that railing... reaching out for the Nightmare King... I finally understood. I can feel it now, Katherine. You feel sorry for him. You pity him for all the awful things that had happened to him and through you... I feel it as well. He does not deserve to die. What he deserves is a second chance. A chance to be good and happy and to have friends and a family just like us!"

Katherine gaped at her best friend and then nodded. Her smile had never been wider. "And you are becoming quite a chatterbox!" she giggled. "But I am glad for this. Now we can grow up together and... hold on... do you feel that?"

That was when they both heard the call as well. They looked at each other and no more words were needed. They were down on the ground and with Ombric and Toothiana inside Big Root within an instant.

"North and the Pooka are on their way" Ombric told them gravely the moment they burst into his study. Toothiana was all atwitter with anxiety and even the owls were hooting quite excitedly as if they knew that something unexpected and rather strange was going on.

"Where is Sandy?" Katherine asked anxiously but her question was answered a moment later when the small, golden man came floating in through one of the open windows and settled himself amongst them.

He still did not speak but he also did not cast them into a new dream. Whatever he had to say was far to urgent. He created a pattern of golden symbols instead to ask his question and every Guardian present understood them instantly.

" _Is it Pitch?"_

"He is back in Punjam Hy Loo!" Toothiana squeaked in agitation. "I can feel it. The Elephant tells me so! He needs our help!"

An instant later Bunnymund emerged from a hole in the ground, he too had heard the call and had abandoned his work to help his friends.

"Is it Pitch?" he asked as well but was interrupted by a rumbling sound from outside and then the neigh of wild and excited reindeer. The Pooka rolled his eyes. "That Nicholas still has a lot to learn about stealth and secrecy!" he huffed but when the ample belly of Nicholas St. North finally pushed into the study everyone greeted him with respect.

"It's Pitch, isn't it?" North rasped as he stumbled in. "Sorry my friends. I need more practice controlling those reindeer. They really do have a temper at times."

Katherine smiled at him but Toothiana pushed past her. "The Nightmare King is back at the flying Elephant's temple! We think he might try again... but the message I got was strange..."

"Strange?" all of them asked as one.

"Yes, in a way" the feathered Queen admitted. "I heard my friend's voice in my mind. He called out for help and he said the Nightmare King was with him."

"Pitch is attacking him! We must go there at once and save him!" North hollered and drew his sword.

"That's the strange thing" Tooth whispered with wide eyes. "I can tell that he is frightened, but I am not sure that Pitch is the reason."

* * *

Back in those dark caves the Nightmare King had been thinking about the girl's idea. First he had laughed at her for that ridiculous thought. But then he just could not get it out of his mind. It made him feel strangely hopeful, a feeling he was not really familiar with. He had not felt this kind of hope in a long time. It might be nothing more than a lucky guess... but in her simple, childish way, Melissa was right yet again.

That Elephant was, from what he had learned, the keeper of all memories. Everything that had ever come to pass would be known to him. And if this creature knew the name of his daughter... perhaps another short visit to Punjam Hy Loo would be worth the trouble.

But he did not like the idea of returning there. He had not for an instant forgotten what had nearly happened to him the last time he had messed with this enormous winged pachyderm. He wondered what he should do. The risk was great but he really wanted to know! He had never wanted anything that badly, even defeating the Guardians and drowning the world in darkness and fear was not that important to him all of a sudden.

But he really didn't want anything more to do with that Elephant. The creature had nearly squashed him into nightmare pudding, had it not been for Melissa. But then, out of nowhere an odd new thought came into this busy mind.

 _Perhaps I don't need to mess with him at all. What if I just went there, knocked on the door and asked politely? Maybe... if I don't give that creature reason to defend itself... it might just do it... without any quarrel at all... it might just be worth a try._

Pitch reached into his new robe where he had stored an instant darkness orb in his left side and one of those stardust-bombs to fight off the fearlings in his right pocket. Should the Elephant try to attack him after all, at least he would be able to get away this time. But it also meant that he could not take the girl with him. It would be too dangerous. She might get left behind! And he could not stand the thought of loosing her.

She did not want to return to Santoff Claussen. She was afraid to do so and he understood that somehow. She had taken his side after all... they might perhaps consider her a threat, but he didn't really believe that. The important thing was, that Melissa wanted to be with _him_! And she had made that quite clear.

Pitch was not ready at all to admit it, but this small and nearly mute kid had stirred something within him. Something he had never thought to be possible. She had given him hope, she had saved his life on the Moon and his soul here on Earth when the fearlings had attacked him. She had made this horrible nightmare go away and had turned his existence into something worth living for. He knew he could trust her. And he knew that she trusted him too.

Pitch had never had a friend, at least not that he could remember, until now. And the feeling was elating! He had never felt so good... and so bad at the same time.

He had forced her back to her studies of letters for a bit longer but then had shushed her into her cage quite early. The sun had not even risen yet. Melissa did not know that though. He told her that it was late and she locked herself up inside her cage obediently and with a smile.

"See you at sundown, Pitch" she whispered. "And keep that light-bomb at hand, just in case!"

He had promised her to do so and watched her as she curled up on her bed and under her blankets. She would be safe here and he would have just enough time to go on a short trip before sunrise. She didn't even need to know.

Pitch crossed his workshop and soon found a shadow deep enough to travel. He looked back at the cage one last time. Everything was quiet. There was no sign of his shadowy minions yet and they would not show up until the sun was up outside. He did not like the idea of leaving her alone, but there was no helping it. She would be safe enough and he would hopefully be back soon.

A moment later, he had disappeared from the dark caves and emerged from the shadows of the dense jungle foliage surrounding the temple of the flying elephant. He looked up at the sky doubtfully. It was day here but he was lucky. The sky was covered in dark clouds and it was drizzling slightly. The daylight made him quite uncomfortable, but it was dark enough for him.

For a split second he wondered if what he was intending to do was right or sensible, but then he cast that thought aside and stepped out of the jungle. He made his way quickly up to the temple and did just what he had come here to do. He walked up to the front door and knocked.

For a moment there was not a sound except for the thicker raindrops that were falling down from the leafs and Pitch heaved a slightly disappointed sigh.

 _What made me think, that he would even come out? He obeys no one but that feathered rundown queen._

But then he heard a low rumbling and to his utmost surprise, the huge doors swung open and before he knew it, Pitch found himself face to face with the one creature he had come here to see. The shock of seeing the Elephant standing right in front of him however startled him and he took a few careful few steps backwards to create some distance.

"Back so soon?" the Elephant asked. The creature didn't actually speak but Pitch could hear the words and the amusement in them in his very mind.

"I..." he started but was suddenly not quite sure what it was that he wanted to say. But before he even had the chance to articulate the reason for his presence here the Elephant's mental voice interrupted him.

"I have been expecting you, Pitch. I know why you have returned here. I know what it is that you wish to know."

"You know?" the Nightmare King gasped. "How?"

"I knew it the moment you made up your mind to come here and ask me. The moment your decision became a memory I knew. But I must admit that I am pleasantly surprised."

Pitch stared at the mighty beast and then nodded in understanding.

"So... will you... " he started again but was promptly interrupted.

"I think I will be able to help you. But first you might want to know that the child you are keeping in your caves is at this moment being attacked by your shadows... your fearlings."

"What?" Pitch gasped and stumbled backwards. "No! No, that can't be! It's impossible. They can't get into that cage and I saw her lock it!"

"Indeed" the Elephant agreed. "But they are quite crafty. They have learned how to pick the lock and have only been waiting for you to leave her unattended. What will you do now?"

Pitch didn't even think twice. He pulled the instant darkness orb out of his pocket, not even taking the time to run back into the cover of the jungle, and detonated it were he stood. He concentrated hard on his destination and within an instant he was back in his workshop.

Everything was quiet except for those soft, greedy hissing noises. The flying Elephant had been right. Melissa's cage was swarming with fearlings. Not as many as he had feared, only perhaps a dozen. But his young friend had obviously not even had a chance to reach out for any weapon.

He rushed forward yelling on the top of his lungs.

"Get away from her!" he roared. "Out! Get out!"

The few fearlings turned their gazes on him and Pitch could have sworn they looked quite triumphant. But then they simply ignored him and turned back to the small trembling body beneath them.

Pitch growled and pulled out the light bomb from his right pocket as he stormed into the cage. A mere second later the fearlings had turned to dust. But they had done quite a job on his little friend. She was not asleep, she was nearly unconscious and shivering violently. Her face was pale and shining with sweat and tears.

The Nightmare King too was trembling, with rage because had been stupid enough to underestimate these monsters and with fear for his only friend. Before he knew it however, he was on his knees beside her, shaking her gently.

"Liz! Liz, wake up!" he whispered but she didn't react. He knew what she was going through. The stench of her fear made him feel sick to his stomach.

 _What am I supposed to do? I can't leave her alone like this. But I need to get back there. I will take her, perhaps that Elephant can help somehow._

He picked her up and pressed her firmly against his chest. Her head was resting on his shoulder and he could hear her sob quietly.

"It's alright now, Liz" he whispered gently, stroking her hair and then he carried her out of the cage and across the room back into the shadows he had only just emerged from.

He sighed as he took to the darkness again only to smell the now familiar scents of the wet Indian jungle a moment later. She would be safe here with him, safer than in his caves. The fact that the fearlings were targeting her now was disturbing and only now did he realize, that he had used up both orbs within a matter of minutes. If the fearlings caught up with them now, they would both be completely defenseless.

"Curse those monsters!" he hissed through gritted teeth and pressed the child even closer to his heaving chest. His heart was beating quickly and he could feel the strain of exhaustion. All of this shadow traveling back and forth had gotten to him already.

The Nightmare King cursed himself for overdoing it like that, but he had not really had a choice. He would have to do something about those fearlings. They did have their uses in the past. But right now, he really wanted them gone. They were too unstable and what use were they, if they didn't obey him any more?

They had become a threat to them both! They had always been a threat to him, but he had never known this before Melissa had made him aware of their attacks. And now the poor girl was suffering the consequences for her actions.

 _How could I have been such a blind fool? Leaving her alone like this... it's not going to happen again. I will not let a single fearling anywhere near her ever again!_

With that thought in mind he stumbled out of the jungle and back to the temple, wondering if the flying Elephant would still be there and willing to help him. The sky had darkened even more and the rain was pouring down more violently. But that didn't bother him much now.

The cool air and the raindrops that hit her face caused Melissa to stir a bit and Pitch looked down at her hopefully. "Liz?" he asked carefully as she stirred again and tried to move. Her eyes were fluttering open and for a moment she seemed close to a panic attack.

"Calm down" he said gently. "You are safe now."

Melissa was confused and disoriented and struggled to get away from whoever was holding on to her. A moment later however, she was set down on her feet but her eyes were burning and she had trouble seeing. A pair of hands was still holding on to her and she didn't pull away. She would not have been able to keep on her feet without the support.

"Are you feeling a bit better now?" the familiar voice said again and after she had wiped the remaining tears from her eyes she looked up into the face of the Nightmare King who was crouching down before her. He stared right back at her and she could not remember ever seeing him looking so worried.

"Pitch?" she whispered doubtfully. "What happened? Where are we? The fearlings... they... I don't even know how they got in... but..."

"I know... I know... I was an idiot leaving you alone like that. I should have brought you along in the first place. None of this would have happened."

Melissa looked around and saw the tangle of trees beside her and the ruins of that temple city just ahead.

"Punjam Hy Loo?" she wondered and finally felt steady enough to stand and walk on her own. "You … came here?" she gasped and then managed a smile. "I thought you would perhaps, but..."

"Let's go and see that Elephant, shall we?" Pitch offered and smiled back at her.

Before the girl could nod they both heard that voice within their minds.

"I am already here!"

Both of them looked around with a start and found the Elephant standing indeed only a few steps away. Pitch actually staggered backwards while Melissa only stared. The huge creatures presence didn't baffle her anywhere as much as hearing him communicate in that manner.

"I must say, you continue to surprise me" the Elephant told them but the girl was quite sure he was not talking to her. "Quite remarkable how quickly you abandon your plans to save that child. I am a bit impressed and that is not an easy thing to achieve. Now, to get back to that problem with your memories."

"So... " Pitch mumbled nervously. "Will you tell me about my daughter?"

The mighty pachyderm did not have much of an expression but Melissa could have sworn he looked almost sad when he shook his giant head slightly.

"I am sorry. But I can't. I only have the memories of events that have happened here on Earth. The memories you seek are not from this world and have happened long before my time."

Both the Nightmare King and the girl looked quite shocked at these news but then they both nodded in unison and with quite similar looks of disappointment on their faces. The flying Elephant smiled inwardly at this sight.

"So... you can't help me after all" Pitch sighed in silent frustration. Had it all been for nothing?

"I didn't say that" the Elephant replied however. "There is another way..." he looked away from them for a moment and seemed to scent the air around him.

His two guests exchanged a confused glance but then they heard his voice again, deep and rumbling and rather soothing.

"I can not tell you what I don't know, but I can unlock your memories. This way you will be able to remember those things yourself. But mark my words, it might be a rather unpleasant experience. It will probably knock you out for a few minutes."

"Knock me out?" The Nightmare King asked with a frown.

"Yes... is that not how you people refer to the sensation of loosing consciousness?" the creature wondered and sounded a bit surprised.

Once again Pitch and Melissa nodded in unison.

"You can do that?" the girl asked curiously then and for the first time she saw the Elephant nod as well.

"I certainly can. And it will work. But we don't have much time. Your minions are already hard on your trail. We will have to do it quickly. Come along... into the temple. We will be safe there. The wards will keep those monsters out. Nothing evil can enter this place."

Pitch squinted his eyes at him. "Then what about me? How am I supposed to get inside?"

At this the flying Elephant let out something that sounded remarkably like a chuckle. "First of, Pitch, I am _inviting_ you in! And then... what makes you think that you could not? You are not evil, you know."

"Of course I am!" Pitch objected stubbornly. "I am the Nightmare King! I inspire fear in the hearts of men! I have done things so horrible, it would raise your hackles... if you had any."

The Elephant however moved up to the temple and they followed him all the way to the door. But there Pitch hesitated yet again.

"I _am_ evil!" he insisted. "Just ask those Guardians or anyone else who knows about me. They will gladly confirm it!"

"I am afraid you are mistaken. If you were evil, you would not have come here with this kind of request. And you would certainly not have cared one bit when I told you about the trouble your young friend was in. Those things you did in the past were indeed evil, but they were neither your idea nor your decision. But we can discuss that any other day. Now, if you still want to get through with this, step inside!"

The Elephant's stern voice told them that he would not take no for an answer. But Pitch looked up at the door doubtfully. What if those wards would not let him? A moment later however, Melissa had taken his hand and was pulling him forward.

"Come on" she whispered. "I trust him. And I know he's right. Do you want to remember your daughter or not?"

The flying Elephant looked down at her and nodded again, then he disappeared into the darkness of the temple. Melissa did the same and Pitch followed her reluctantly. He actually closed his eyes when he stepped over the threshold but nothing happened. The only thing he noticed was the change in temperature. It was warmer in here and dry and dark. Almost darker than his caves. The air smelled slightly of animal, which was of course not surprising.

But when he looked around, his keen eyes spotted numerous pillars, statues of all kinds of native creatures and intricate carvings on the walls. He almost wished for more light to see them better. The statues seemed to stare back at him through eyes of ruby and emerald.

Somewhere behind them, the doors closed with an ominous clank that sent shivers down the Nightmare King's spine. He suddenly felt trapped but only for a moment.

"Now" the Elephant's voice said from somewhere out of the darkness. "Are you still willing to have your memories unlocked, Pitch?"

"I am" he said with sudden determination and closed his fingers more tightly around the girls small hand. They stepped deeper into the gloom until they could suddenly see more clearly again. There was a bit of light that seemed to emanate from somewhere above and they noticed the Elephant standing mere steps away from them.

"Then come, King of Nightmares, for we have no time to loose. The fearlings are coming. They know what you are trying to do and they are determined to stop you at any cost. But never fear, they will not be able to get in. Still... you two should not linger here for too long."

Pitch nodded and stepped forward. This was it after all. His one chance to remember his little girl. And once he did, he could perhaps talk to her again and clear things up.

"Is there something I can do?" Melissa asked timidly in her silent way and the Elephant looked at her curiously.

"Just stay close, girl and watch. Don't worry, I will not hurt your friend."

She nodded and came as close as she dared. Pitch looked at her and gave her an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry, Liz. I'll be fine" he assured her as well and she smiled back at him. "What must I do?" he asked then and looked up at the Elephant.

The creature moved forward until he stood right in front of him. "Just close your eyes and relax."

Pitch did as he was told, but relaxing was not easy to him. Not at all, but he did his best and Melissa only looked on in wonder as the Elephant simply lifted his trunk and very gently touched Pitch's forehead with it's soft end.

The Nightmare King stood stock-still but Melissa could hear him draw a sharp breath. Then a second later he gasped and suddenly fell backwards. The girl gasped as well and rushed forward in an attempt to catch him, but the Elephant was faster. Before Pitch could hit the ground, he had wrapped his trunk around him and lowered him gently to the floor.

"What happened?" she whispered fearfully as she knelt down beside him.

"Nothing to worry about, Melissa" the Elephant said. "I told you both that this would happen. Having your memories unlocked is always a shocking experience. In his case perhaps more than for a normal human. There is so much he has forgotten. But have no fear, he will wake up in a few minutes and..."

The Elephant fell silent all of a sudden and looked back at the door. There were strange, ominous noises from outside. There was a rushing and rumbling as if the entire temple was engulfed in a hurricane.

"They are upon us already" the Elephant said and sent out a mental call for help to his dearest friend, Queen Toothiana. He was quite sure that the wards would hold, but perhaps not forever. The Nightmare King would have to wake up quickly and get himself and the girl out of here. But would those fearlings know it when they left? Maybe not. They might still try to get in and hopefully the Guardians would be able to get rid of them.

The buffeting sounds of the charging horde of shadows grew louder and more intense by the minute. There were so many. More than he had ever thought there would be. It seemed like ever single fearling that existed was at his door, trying to break in.

Melissa was still down on her knees beside the unconscious Nightmare King. She had one hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently, whispering his name, urging him to wake up. Her other hand was rummaging through her pockets, searching for something.

 _Drat it. The light bombs are back inside that cage. Perhaps Pitch still has one..._

She let go of his shoulder and searched his pockets as well, but they were empty. Melissa bit her lip in silent fear. All she had to defend herself and her friends with was her precious starlight infused dagger, but it seemed like a feeble weapon against the forces of darkness that were after them.

She drew it anyway and looked up at the huge animal beside her. "You sure that those wards will hold?"

The creature looked down at her and to her surprise and dismay, she saw fear in the eyes of the mighty beast. "They better had" was all he said for a while.

But the fearsome noises only grew louder. The entire temple seemed to be rattling and shaking under the fearling's massive attacks.

"So many" the Elephant said darkly. "I never felt such evil... your friend must wake up. You have to flee!"

Melissa whirled around and gave Pitch's shoulder another good shake but then she looked up in terror. "But what about you?"

"The Guardians are on their way... they might be able to get rid of those monsters."

"The Guardians?" the girl's eyes widened in shock and surprise.

 _He called them? He can do that? What will they do? Oh gods, we have to get out of here! They must not find Pitch here! If those monsters don't do us in first, the Guardians certainly will!_

She shook his shoulder again, whispered his name but there was no response at all. Pitch seemed to be properly knocked out. He actually looked quite peaceful and usually the sight would have made her smile. But now it nearly drove her out of her mind.

A few pieces of rock fell down from the ceiling somewhere and the entire temple shook under the onslaught.

"Oh no" the Elephant's voice echoed through Melissa's mind. "They are breaking through. They are too many. The wards won't hold much longer!"

"Pitch! Dammit!" she wailed silently, shaking him again. "Wake up! Wake up right now! We have to go!"

Then she pulled back. Had she only imagined it or had he just moved. She whispered his name again and gasped. His hand moved across his chest, as if he was searching for something. She grabbed it quickly and felt his fingers close around hers.

She shook him again. "Pitch! Wake up. You have to wake up right now! We are in serious trouble!"

He was stirring now but then the girl nearly jumped out of her skin when the Elephant let out a bellow so loud it made her ears ring. More rocks and pieces of stucco were raining down around them and then there was suddenly a spot of bright light on the floor just in the center of the room a few steps away from them.

Melissa jumped to her feet. She could hear the scraping sounds of fearling-claws on the rock outside, then she noticed the spindly arms pushing through the walls everywhere around them. They were coming in from all sides.

"Oh Moon" she whispered in terror. "What are we going to do?"

Instinctively she pulled her dagger and stepped forward. She would not let them anywhere near her friends, not ever! She would draw their attention to herself. The girl rushed forward and stepped into the spot of light. It was soft and silvery and somehow it gave her new courage. Melissa looked up curiously and to her complete surprise she saw a hole in the ceiling and beyond it, the bright full moon.

 _Wait a second... wasn't it day here just a few minutes ago?_

But that disturbing thought was pushed from her mind as a voice suddenly filled it. It was not the Elephant but she knew it well enough. She listened intently and then she knew what she had to do.

The Elephant behind her shuffled and tried to call her back. But the girl did not even seem to hear him. Next to him, Pitch had finally come too and was trying to sit up but he felt dizzy and then he became aware of the trouble they were in.

"Liz!" he called out, when he saw her standing in that spotlight. If she stayed there, the fearlings would go for her immediately! He had to get her out of here! But when he tried to get up, his legs felt so weak and shaky. He could barely move.

The building gave another tremendous shudder and they could hear the fearlings shrieking as they pressed through the walls. The wards were broken and they were pouring in like a flood from all sides. They were ignoring Pitch and the Elephant and headed straight for the girl.

"No... no Liz!" the Nightmare King yelped and tried to crawl to her. He would never be fast enough. But then, suddenly the girl looked back over her shoulder. She looked taller than he remembered her, but there was a determined smile on her face. Her eyes had a strange, silvery glow to them.

"Elephant" she said softly. "Please shield him from me."

 _What? What is happening? I must save her... Liz..._

But a moment later the Elephant was blocking his way and Pitch could not see her anymore.

The mighty creature could see that something amazing and incredible had just happened and an instant later, her memory of what had just occurred came to him. He did as she had bidden, knowing not what would come, neither did the girl. She simply was letting the moonlight guide her.

The fearlings were crowding the temple but Melissa didn't move. She waited, making sure that each and every one of the nasty fiends was inside. Only when the first ones were within reach, she raised her dagger above her head and closed her eyes. And then all of a sudden there was a glow around her which quickly brightened until waves of soft, silvery light flooded the temple. The girl herself seemed to reflect the bit of moonlight that fell in through the ceiling, sending rays of it in all directions.

The fearlings screamed and tried to back away but there was no escaping that light. Melissa opened her eyes and glared at them angrily. She could feel her dagger pulsating in in her hand as if it was something alive. It was glowing bright white and then it began to grow and became longer, much longer until she held an entirely different weapon.

It was no longer a short sparkling blade but a halberd. The thing was almost twice as tall as her and it seemed to be made of solid moonlight. On its top was a crescent shaped blade and the mere sight of it caused the fearlings to convulse in pain, terror and rage.

Melissa grasped the weapon tightly and as she swung it against her enemies, she let out a primal scream.

"Stay away from my friends!" she roared, her voice loud and clear as if it had never been gone. Then she swung, slicing through the first row of fearlings as if they were butter. The room exploded with silvery white light, disintegrating any remaining fearling inside. And there were many. More than she had ever seen or could count. It didn't matter.

The Man in the Moon had lent her the power to defeat them and she had wasted no time. She knew now, that the attack on her back at the moon was never meant to happen. They had simply been to close to the surface. The Man in the Moon was not her enemy, he was her friend, her ally and he _wanted_ her to save Pitch! She had done well. He had praised her and told her to never stop believing and as she made short work of the monstrous shadows she believed harder than she ever had.

But the spectacle only lasted for perhaps ten or twelve seconds and then the temple was dark again, except from the small spotlight on the ground.

The Elephant let out a sigh while Pitch behind him groaned. He was rubbing his eyes. They still stung from the light but he felt better and managed to get to his feet. This time, when he attempted to step around the flying elephant, the creature did not stop him.

But what he saw a moment later made his heart shrink to the size of a marble. Melissa was on the ground and she was not moving. Her dagger had fallen from her hand and was glittering in the soft light. What had happened?

"Liz" he rasped again and stumbled forward to get her.

"She will be fine. Just get her out of here quickly" the Elephant told him.

The Nightmare King ignored him as he examined his young friend and found to his relief that she seemed alright. She was simply asleep or had passed out, he could not tell. But she was breathing evenly and her heart was beating strong and steady.

He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up to carry her back to the Elephant. He gave the creature a glare. "What happened to her? What did she do? And how...?"

"She will be able to tell you everything when she wakes up" the flying Elephant interrupted him. "Now you must leave. The fearlings are defeated, hopefully all of them. The Guardians are outside, they have been fighting them too. But they will come in any minute now. And you had better be gone when they do. Do you know a safe place to take her to?"

Pitch's mind was racing. The Guardians were _here_? Of course they were! It was not even surprising. And he really had no desire to meet them right now. A safe place? He racked his brain but then nodded.

"Are you up to traveling by shadow?" the Elephant asked now, sounding a bit concerned but Pitch only nodded automatically.

"What about my memories?" he asked instead.

"They will return to you. It might take some time. It might start in a day or two, or a few weeks, perhaps even months. But you will remember everything. Some of them might need a trigger, others will come to you in your dreams. Now however, you need to hurry and get _out_ of here!" The elephant was urging him now.

Pitch nodded again and shifted his load slightly. He looked around for a dark shadow but there were plenty. He was weary and incredibly tired, but he had one last shadow travel in him.

He turned around to the Elephant, about to say his goodbyes but then he hesitated. "You said the Guardians are here."

The creature just looked at him.

"There is a young girl among them. Her name is Katherine. The last time we met... I did something to her... I..."

"You stole her memories" the Elephant said blankly. "Yes, I do remember that very clearly."

The Nightmare king felt strangely ashamed of what he had done. The sentiment was new to him but he gulped and shook it off. Instead he searched the large creatures eyes almost hopefully. "Do you think... you could give them back to her? Not remembering your family is a horrible thing. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. So... would you be so kind and..."

"Are you asking me to unlock that girls memories too?" the Elephant seemed genuinely surprised but Pitch simply nodded.

"If it is not too much trouble. I don't know if they have even considered the option... but now that I know what you are capable of..."

The flying Elephant smiled to himself and then nodded his large head. "I will do so gladly, Pitch. But now _go_!"

Pitch nodded and stepped into the shadows. "Thank you... for everything. I owe you one." And with that he was gone and Melissa with him.

* * *

When the Guardians arrived in Punjam Hy Loo, they all felt as if they had walked straight into their worst nightmare. They had not known what to expect but this was definitely the worst case scenario. None of them had ever seen such numbers of fearlings and they were not quite sure what they were supposed to do. To say that they were outnumbered would have been a severe understatement, and they all looked at each other with desperate expressions.

Katherine was clutching Nightlight's hand and looked up into his bright green eyes. "What are we going to do? They are so many! There must be thousands of them!"

The spectral boy only shook shook his head in disbelief and slight worry. To him it seemed as if all the forces of darkness had been unleashed upon this temple. Was this Pitch's revenge for his near demise here? But if it was, where was he?

The other Guardians were wondering the same thing.

"We can't just stand here and do nothing!" North said suddenly. "We have to come up with a plan. We must attack!" The ex Cossack was full of fervor as always and seemingly eager for battle but they could all see the uncertainty even in his eyes.

Queen Toothiana was beside herself with fear for the flying Elephant. "We have to help him. I can feel he is afraid... but..." she stopped for a moment cocked her head and frowned in sudden confusion. "He is not alone in there. And it is not him those fearlings are hunting!"

"There is someone else inside?" Ombric asked and stroked his twirling beard. "Who could it be?"

"Good question" the Sandman offered with a flash of golden dreamsand symbols.

"And where is that no good villain of a Nightmare King?" Bunnymund asked scanning the battlefield ahead. He had an enormous chocolate egg in his hand but made no attempt to eat it just yet.

"He is inside... with that girl" an unfamiliar and rather cold female voice said from behind them and all of them spun around as one.

Every Guardian instantly drew his or her weapons, except for the Sandman, who greeted the strange woman with a wide smile.

"Put your blades away" Mother Nature said coolly. "I am not here for a fight. I was merely curious why my father would return here of all places" she shrugged and graced Sandy with the tiniest of smiles. "Unfortunately I have not been able to find out. All I know is that they are both inside with that Elephant."

"Emily Jane" Sandy spoke directly into her mind. "We know the fearlings are not after the flying Elephant. Does that mean they are after Pitch and the girl?"

"Obviously" she replied with a face of complete indifference. "As far I am concerned, I could not care less. But it makes me wonder... I thought they were his slaves. Have they actually developed enough sense to start a mutiny of such proportions?"

"Who cares?" North growled and stepped forward. "Will you help us fight them, or not?"

Mother Nature merely raised an eyebrow at the former cossack. "Why would I? They are his problem, not mine. I don't see where this concerns me at all" she huffed and made ready to turn her back and fly off into the stormy sky.

"But Mother Nature!" Katherine burst out in spite of herself. "We can't fight so many fearlings by ourselves! And my friend Melissa is in there too... and the flying Elephant. We have to help!"

The woman turned to the girl briskly with a look of curiosity and slight revulsion in her angry eyes.

 _Why didn't I finished that brat when I had the chance...? I could have broken her neck cleanly and nothing like this would have ever happened..._

"Your friend? You still think of this girl as your friend? Even though she has so obviously sided with _him_?" she spat out in disgust.

"She has her reasons!" Katherine pouted and Nightlight put an arm around her shoulders. He looked up at the mighty nature spirit with determination.

"Our friend is doing this on orders from the Man in the Moon himself. He told her..."

"The Man in the Moon?" Mother Nature interrupted his beautiful, crystal clear voice and frowned at him.

"The last of the Lunanoffs" Sandy offered and the tall woman looked at him in surprise.

"Lunanoff? The little prince? Tsar Lunar?" she gasped and not only Sandy nodded. At this, Mother Nature looked up at the sky and rose her hands. High above them the thick, dark clouds ripped apart and to everyone's amazement they could see the full moon. And it was so big and bright, it was almost blinding.

"Isn't it daytime?" Katherine muttered in wonder.

But even Mother Nature seemed startled. Never had she seen the full moon so brightly during the day.

Then however a tremor ran through the ground beneath their feet, they could hear a deep rumbling and all of them looked back at the assaulted temple. The creatures of shadow were pressing in on it, they were breaking through.

"Oh no!" Toothiana wailed. "The wards are failing! We have to do something! Quickly!"

"We attack now!" North decided and drew his sword. "Come my friends. We might have a chance! They are distracted and might not even notice us. We can take them from behind!"

Mother Nature snorted at this and shrugged. "Go and get yourself killed for all I care. It is none of my business."

"We attack!" Ombric confirmed firmly. "We don't need help from a cold-hearted creature like yourself. Guardians, let's move! There is a child in there that needs our help!"

Katherine felt pride for the old wizard. She would have liked to say it herself, ever since she had witnessed that conversation between this Mother Nature and Pitch. She had not forgotten a word she had said to him and no matter how bad the Nightmare King was, no one deserved to hear something like that... not from his only child. And specially not after she had seen just how much he loved her still.

She gave the tall woman a cold glare before she drew her dagger and headed after North and Bunnymund, who had now stuffed that chocolate egg into his mouth. She watched him transform as they ran. She had seen it all before but it was still incredible to behold as he grew in size and two extra arms sprouted from out of his sides, each complete with a sharp, curved blade in every hand.

Sandy had only given his old friend an apologetic smile and a shrug before he summoned his dreamsand whips and flew after his new friends.

"They are right, you know" Nightlight was still standing there, looking up at the tall woman. "The way you act and talk is cold-hearted but I think you _do_ care after all. You are just too proud to admit it, like most tall ones."

With that the boy too turned around and dashed after his friends to fight that fearsome army of renegade shadows.

Mother Nature hovered in midair looking after them. They fought so bravely, she had seen them do so before. She had even assisted them a little not long ago. She knew she could take those fearlings out. Not all of them perhaps, but with the Guardians beside her...

But her father was in there and so was this girl. And a part of her, the jealous one, still hoped that the child would perish. She was such a thorn in her side. But those shadowy fiends were after her father as well. And despite the grudge she still held, she didn't want to see him fall. He had fallen so low already. Perhaps this was what he deserved for all the wicked things he had done - most of all for abandoning her, for forgetting her.

But she didn't want him to die. He was still her father after all, her only living family and here she was with the power to perhaps save his life again, just as she had done not long ago. But that girl... she was a threat. Mother Nature knew Pitch cared for her. And believe it or not, the girl cared for him too! Enough to risk her life and fly to the Moon to save his hide. He would have died out there.

The powerful spirit sighed deeply. Perhaps she should be a bit more grateful towards that child. But she wanted to know what they were to each other. She would not allow her to take her place. Pitch was _her_ father, hers alone!

She looked down at the battle. The Guardians were doing a pretty good job eliminating the fearlings. The creatures didn't even seem to pay attention to them. They were too focused on storming that temple and most of them were already inside.

Then she looked up in surprise as the sky started to brighten. A single powerful beam of moonlight fell down onto the temple and a moment later the entire place erupted with blinding white light.

"Lunar!" she gasped. The Man in the Moon himself was interfering here. And before she knew it, she too raced forward and unleashed her wrath on every fearling that crossed her path. The clouds above her grew darker still and began to crowd around the temple, leaving just enough space above for that moonbeam.

The Guardians looked up in surprise at the unexpected assistance but Mother Nature just eyed them coldly. "Stand back!" she called out and they promptly obeyed, knowing that disaster was right at hand.

She looked up at the clouds, her eyes fierce and determined. Hail and raindrops were falling around her and the wind was pushing the Guardians back and out of the way. The air was crackling with energy. Then there was lightning, a lot of it and every bolt struck down at least half a dozen fearlings. The light was blinding, inside the temple and outside as well.

And the fearlings fell. They vanished and left nothing but a layer of black fog and a scent of sulfur which was quickly carried off by the tempest Emily Jane had summoned. Within moments there was not a single shadow left, neither inside nor outside the temple.

"Wow" Katherine breathed as the air around her began to clear. The clouds vanished and the wind calmed down. In the west they could see an amazing sunset of deep crimson mixed with gold and magenta.

Bunnymund hopped up to Mother Nature and studied her stern face intently. "Honestly, I am not easily impressed. But that was formidable! Have you ever considered becoming a Guardian?"

The mighty nature spirit huffed at him and stuck out her lower lip like a pouting little girl. "That, my dear Pooka, is _not_ for me" she drawled, sounding so much like her father, it made Bunnymund cringe inside.

"I simply decided to end this show because Tsar Lunar himself was interfering. Now, why don't you go in and check out the damage. And take that girl with you. I can't stand seeing her hanging out with my father as if … they were family or something. _I_ am his only child. And I will not let this brat take my place! So you had better take her away before I remove her permanently!"

At this all of the Guardians exchanged meaningful glances. Katherine's mouth was hanging slightly open when she voiced her thoughts. "You … are jealous?"

Mother Nature glared at her haughtily. "No! I. am. not!" she spat but the auburn-haired girl suddenly smiled up at her.

"Yes. you. are!" she almost laughed. "And I thought you really hated him. I was pretty upset after I heard what you said to him in that forest. I was actually quite mad at you for..."

"Are you starting that too now?" Mother Nature hollered. "First that brat in there... and now you? I don't need that sermon again! So just shut your airhole or I will give you the same treatment I've given her!"

Katherine took a step back and at the same time, Nightlight moved forward, placing himself in front of his dearest friend. "I have much respect for you, Queen Mother of the Nature. And I am grateful for your help. But you will not harm my Katherine!"

Emily Jane stared at the boy in wonder. So young and yet so brave, just like the girl. And still so otherworldly. A spirit, just like herself. And so determined to protect his friend. She sighed and lowered her eyes, wishing that she had a friend like that. But she didn't. She had always kept to herself. She had hidden inside the clouds, watching but never showing herself to anyone, never talking to anyone...

North, Ombric, Bunnymund and Toothiana were already approaching the temple's front doors which had burst open under the fearling attack. The girl was tucking at Nightlight's arm. Then she looked up at Mother Nature.

"I am sorry. I won't say it again. Perhaps you have reason to be so angry, I don't even know what you have been through all those years. I apologize for what I said. Can't we be friends?"

"Please come inside with us" Nightlight added but Mother Nature shook her head. She was confused. She needed a moment to think. Why were they suddenly so nice to her? Because she had helped them to defeat those demons? Probably... but there was something else to those two young ones. This strange and completely genuine friendliness. It was intriguing and scary at the same time. She didn't want to let them close. But just a moment ago she had longed to have friends like this. Now they were offering it to her and all she could do was back away.

"Go ahead. Call if you need me. I need a moment to think" she said quite frankly and both children nodded with a smile and ran off.


	17. Chapter 17

Katherine could not wait to see Melissa again. She so wanted to talk to her. The prospect that Pitch would be inside as well did not bother her much now. She wanted to know what had happened and what that bright light had been. But when she burst into the temple, with Nightlight beside her the other Guardians were already standing around the flying Elephant with long faces.

"What do you mean... _gone_?" Toothiana asked with wide eyes.

"Isn't it obvious?" Bunnymund scolded. "They are no longer here. Pitch has given us the slip!"

"Good Elephant" Ombric said humbly. "Have you done as he asked? Have you removed the last of his humanity?"

The flying Elephant looked down at the old wizard with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Yes and no" he said mysteriously. "I have done what he asked, but this was not his wish."

The Guardians were at quite a loss. They looked at each other for answers but everyone just shrugged.

Then Katherine came up into their midst. "Elephant, what _did_ he want?"

"Yes!" Toothiana cut in. "And how did he even get in? The wards were still up. No evil should have been able to enter this place!"

"Indeed" the Elephant said gravely. "It was a strange and exciting day for me, my friends. So please sit and hear a most amazing tale. But first... I believe Pitch's daughter, Mother Nature is outside the temple. Please ask her inside. She will really want to hear this."

Katherine nodded at this. "We have already asked her, but she won't come."

"Then go back to her, Girl, and tell her that I demand her presence!" the Elephant ordered and Katherine instantly flew out of the temple as if she had wings of her own. But when she got back outside the nature spirit was nowhere to be seen.

"Mother Nature!" she called but the sky was clear and no matter how hard she looked, she could not find her anywhere. "Mother Nature! Please! The Elephant is asking for you! He says you have to hear this!"

Emily Jane heard her quite clearly but she remained hidden in the treetops of the jungle. She didn't want to join those Guardians but she was curious. Perhaps she would go and do a bit of good old-fashioned eavesdropping once the girl was back inside. But the little brat was persistent, walking around the temple calling her name almost desperately.

But finally, after a couple of minutes Katherine gave up. Mother Nature was no longer here from what she could tell. There was nothing she could do to bring her back and she returned to the temple with her head hanging and she looked quite crestfallen.

"I am sorry" she said mournfully when she stood between her friends once again. "She's gone... I think. I can't find her."

"Well. It can't be helped then" their host sighed. "Please child. Sit and listen for I have a lot to tell you."

The girl obeyed and sat down cross-legged between Nightlight and North. And then the Elephant started narrating the events of the past hour.

They learned that he Nightmare King had indeed returned here with a most curious request. One that the Elephant had deemed worthy. But he had abandoned his plans to save Melissa when he heard that she was in severe distress. The Guardians listened intently to this and a few mouths were hanging open in disbelief.

"But... how could he even get in here?" Toothiana interrupted him. Her big friend had not yet answered her question. "The Nightmare King... how is it possible that he could enter this temple?"

"The wards only repel evil" the Elephant said evenly as if that explained everything. "And no evil has entered my temple until those fearlings broke the wards. Even I was not prepared for an attack of such proportions."

"You mean..."Katherine started but North was a little bit faster and his booming voice a lot stronger than hers.

"But Pitch is their master! Their King!" he gesticulated wildly. "They are his slaves and..."

The Elephant looked down sadly at the upset human creature before him. Nicholas was a tall man but in front of the enormous master of the temple, he looked quite tiny and felt so too.

"I know that you do not really believe that. You know his story. He has never been their master. It had been the other way around. And even now, Pitch is only beginning to understand that himself. He was a figurehead and a tool – a puppet, but little more than that."

"Was?" Katherine cut in, this time before North could even open his mouth to protest. The Sandman hovered beside him and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. For a moment the two Guardians looked at one another and finally North nodded.

Katherine was back on her feet and had taken charge of the situation. She stepped forward to stand right before the Elephant.

"Does that mean, that … this has changed?"

The huge creature nodded. "There are no fearlings left now. At least none that I can detect anywhere. They have been gradually loosing control over him ever since the fateful day he brought that girl into his caves. Every time they tried to renew or strengthen their grip on him, she interfered and decimated them."

"Liz fought against those shadows all by herself?" Katherine gasped and felt worse than ever about this whole affair. They had forgotten about her. She herself had somehow known that Melissa had tagged along when Mother Nature had taken them right from the clearing outside this temple. She must have been so scared.

"There is no need for remorse, my tiny friend." The Elephant said soothingly. "But I should like to tell you the rest of what happened."

The Guardians exchanged another look and shared their thoughts quietly. Then it was Nightlight who nodded. "Please continue your tale."

And the flying Elephant did. He told them everything up to the moment when the fearlings had been eliminated and the Nightmare King had rushed to the fallen girl's side.

"But where is she now?" the girl called out desperately. "Is Melissa alright? Will she be alright?"

"Pitch has taken her someplace safe" the Elephant explained.

"Safe?" Bunnymund asked and looked around at his friends. To most of them the name of the Nightmare King and the concept of "safe" were not at all compatible but Katherine nodded. She knew that her friend had saved Pitch's life more than once and even he would not be as ungrateful as to hurt her in return.

"You have no reason to fear for your young friend" the Elephant assured them.

"Maybe not" the Pooka admitted but he still sounded a bit disturbed. "But you should not have allowed him to take her. You called us! You knew we were here to help!"

"We would have taken her home with us" Ombric nodded but his voice was calm and composed. "She would have been with her friends and family again."

"The girl's family is dead" the Elephant pointed out. "And I do believe that Melissa would not have come willingly."

"But... Elephant... Liz is my friend! She's our friend. She belongs with us!" Katherine tried to argue but then her fists opened and her arms hung limply at her sides. "Do you think... she likes _him_ more than us?"

The mighty creature looked down at her with slight amusement in his chestnut eyes. "No need to be jealous, little one. Your friend is on a mission and after what I have done... Pitch needs her more than you do right now."

"What?" Queen Toothiana blurted out but then just shook her head in dismay. She understood now how much her new friends longed to have that child back. Not only because they loved her as one of their own, but because they felt guilty for forgetting about her. They all wanted to make it up to her and give her the wonderful home she deserved.

"You gave him back his memories" Nightlight said thoughtfully and everyone looked around at the spectral boy. He had changed a lot lately. He talked a lot more and had become more thoughtful. But right now he looked more thoughtful than anyone had seen him before. "He really asked you for that?"

"Curious, isn't it?" the Elephant nodded. "Only days ago, he came here with an army and demanded to have that last shred of humanity removed from him. But today he came to ask me for the exact opposite. And believe it or not, he asked politely! I knew he would the moment he had made up his mind about it and even now I am still working on believing it. But he got what he wanted. I unlocked his memory. It will come back to him in bits and pieces and I am sure that he will not like much of what he will remember. He will need a friend at his side to help him... to support him, to comfort him..."

"Melissa?" Katherine asked weakly and the Elephant nodded and the girl did the same. She finally understood it all.

"As the fearlings' hold on Pitch weakened, the more he began to appreciate the girl's company. He has grown quite fond of her and she has grown to like him too. Not for the monster that he once thought he wanted to be, but for the last spark of the man that was still locked up somewhere deep inside."

The inner sanctum of the temple lay in perfect silence for quite a while. The Guardians all stood there as if someone had smacked them with a bag of cement while the Elephant just watched their thoughts become memories. He smiled inwardly as he saw them all comeing to grips with the new development.

Each and every one of them knew what it meant to be alone in one way or the other. Even Ombric had been alone for a long time after Atlantis had been consumed by the rage of the sea. Bunnymund had been left alone in the universe after Pitch and his army had wiped out his race. The Elephant was a bit surprised that he could not sense any deeper feelings like hatred from the Pooka. He had a reason to hate the Nightmare King, more than anyone. But yet, the furry, long eared fellow was as tranquil as a pool under the full moon and as smooth as a pebble in a rushing river.

That odd spectral boy was even a bit of a wonder to him. He could sense his memories. There were so few of them but he could feel them growing. He had once sacrificed himself and had existed for hundreds of years right within the corrupted heart of the Nightmare King, when he had been at his worst. But one thing the boy didn't know was that during all this time when he had kept Pitch frozen and petrified, pinned to that nightmare rock, he had also protected this last spark of humanity within him.

Then there was North. That strong and rather spirited young man with a dark past of his own. He had grown up more or less like a wild child before he had joined those Cossacks who were now his humble servants and willing to do good.

Toothiana of course had once had a real family but death had separated them. She had been forced to live in hiding, only because she was different. The human race was cruel to anything and anyone they did not understand. Yes, the feathered queen knew loneliness as much as any of them, even that little girl, who had never really been alone, except for the short time she had tumbled through that blizzard until she had reached the woods around Santoff Claussen.

She didn't even remember it but she too knew what it meant to be alone. But actually it was the girl especially who seemed to understand best what was going on.

And then there was the Sandman. He had never felt lonely or truly unhappy in all of his life. He seemed a bit like the odd one out but he was also the one who had known the vastness and loneliness of space. Still he was different. He needed no shiny swords and blades. All he needed was what remained of the shooting star that had brought him here. The parts had shattered to dust... to sand... and the grains would never grow less as long as he could refill them with dreams. It was a wondrous existence indeed. He was not human but more... a spirit of sorts. And perhaps so was Pitch. He too was a relic of the Golden Age.

That thought suddenly made the Elephant look back at the young girl. She had sat down, lost in thoughts but she didn't look sad now. She looked hopeful. And the moment she felt his gaze upon her she looked up too.

"Elephant" she whispered quietly. "You must know where they are, right? I so wish to talk to Melissa. I only want to tell her that we still are her friends, no matter what happened... and … and that I miss her."

"I am sorry, dear" he replied but this time only Katherine could hear his voice inside her mind. "But you will see her again. I am sure of it. Just have patience... but there is something else. Something Pitch asked me to give you."

Katherine was on her feet in an instant. "Pitch asked you to _give_ me something?" she asked quite loudly and everyone was on their toes immediately.

"He did. But don't be afraid. Just come forward."

She looked up at her friends but they all just looked startled. Even Nightlight didn't seem sure about what to do. So the girl turned back to the flying Elephant and looked him straight into the eye without fear.

"If you say that it is safe... I trust you. What is it?"

"Just lay down here. It might knock you out for a minute or two" the Elephant said gently but that did nothing for Katherine's nerves.

"Knock me out?" she repeated slowly, staring at him in disbelief but then she heard Nightlight's quiet voice from behind her.

"Do as he says. He won't hurt you!"

She looked back over her shoulder and saw her dearests friend grin at her. She smiled back at him and faced the formidable creature before her again. She nodded to him too and then lowered herself onto the ground until she was lying on her back.

"So... what are you going to do?" she asked with only the slightest spark of anxiety in her voice.

"I will give you your memories..." the Elephant told her and Katherine gasped. "The memories you long for... your parents."

The girl was almost tempted to jump to her feet again. "You can do that? You can make me remember them? Even without my tooth?"

"I can" the Elephant nodded but the girl was sitting up again, staring at him intensely.

"Pitch asked you... to... "

"He practically begged me to give you the memories he had taken from you because he could not. So, do you want to remember?"

"Yes... _yes!_ " Katherine gasped breathlessly and was flat on her back in an instant. "Please, dear Elephant... I'd do anything..."

But then all she felt was the subtle touch of something soft on her forehead and the next moment she could feel her mind explode. Pictures and images of events rushed through it and it was too much for her to take in at once.

"Katherine!" the Guardians yelled as one and were at her side instantly when they realized she had lost consciousness.

"What have you done to her?" North hollered and drew his swords, not to attack but simply out of desperation. He loved that little girl more dearly than anything. She was his light in the dark, his family, his...

"Don't worry and don't be afraid, friends" the Elephant told them. He was not the least impressed by North's outburst. "She will sleep for a short while and when she awakes, she will slowly start to remember. It is what she always wanted. So please let her rest. It is a lot for a young mind like her's to take in after all."

"But... she will be alright?" Ombric asked with a little less temper but not less worried.

"She will be fine. You can take her home if you wish. But she will wake up soon. Within minutes, I believe."

"But she's unconscious, mate!" Bunnymund yelled and glowered up at the impressive keeper of memories but then his eyes averted when he caught a glimpse of movement.

Nightlight had dashed to Katherine's side the moment she had passed out and now he was smiling down on her. The girl was already opening her eyes and was smiling back at him, there were a few tears in her eyes, but she was smiling all the same.

Everyone saw it. The Elephant and all of the Guardians. And at that moment they knew that everything was alright.

"Let's go home" Katherine suggested when she had gotten to her feet. Nightlight was right beside her and she felt safe and strong. She could not yet remember her parents, but had a very strong sensation that she would. Soon. She turned to the Elephant with a smile.

"Thank you so much for that. I thought I had lost them. But once my memories come back, they will always be with me. I will never forget..."

"Don't thank me. It was Pitch who asked me to do that" the Elephant remarked with a smile in his voice and a flick of his large ears. "I would like to retire now" he said with his inaudible voice echoing through everyone's mind. "This day has been very exiting. I don't get that often. Two memories unlocked in one day... I need to rest, so please … and I mean no offense .. but be on your way."

The Guardians could not agree more. They wanted to get home. But Toothiana _was_ home and she gave her thick hided friend a mischievous smile.

"Beware, dear. You will see a lot more of us in the days to come." She whirled around and looked at Ombric who cast her a wink.

"We will, dear Toothy, we will."

The Elephant saw them to the gate out and then disappeared into the dark temple to get some rest. But the Guardians still had to get home. They were all tired and mentally exhausted as they walked down to the egg train Bunnymund had provided when a sudden voice interrupted them.

"So you will do nothing. You will just go home and get on with your sweet little lives!"

They all spun around as one and looked up at the powerful nature spirit hovering above them in the clouds.

"Mother Nature..." Ombric said.

"Emily Jane!" Sandy thought.

"..." every one else said. They were lost for words at her sudden reappearance.

"Where is my father?" Mother Nature asked firmly.

A few shrugging shoulders were the only reply

"I demand to know where he is!" she insisted, blocking their way. "I cannot locate him!"

"Locate him?" Bunnymund asked in bewilderment. "How can you locate him?"

"He's my father and a living creature!" she ranted. "I can always locate him as well as any other living thing on this world. So where is he now?"

Ombric frowned at her as did the other guardians. "If you can locate him, why are you asking us? We haven't got a clue!"

The Queen Mother of Nature hovered lower and allowed her feet to touch the ground. Then she looked at them all in turn, but she could not sense any lies or deception.

"You don't know?" she harangued. "How can you not know? You were with the Elephant! He must have told you!"

"He … decided not to" Katherine offered. "And there was nothing we could do. We are only humans after all – well, mostly" she added quite humbly. She had heard and seen this woman in action and choose her words very carefully. The last thing she wanted was to irritate her more.

She looked angry enough as it was and she was still blocking their way, obviously unwilling to let them leave. "So he let them go. He deliberately allowed them to escape!"

"It actually sounded as if he had to force them out" Toothiana shrugged and the two women locked gazes for a long moment. And as they did, they came to an understanding.

"What do you think could be the reason that you can not locate him?" the feathered queen asked gently.

And for the first time the unfriendly scowl disappeared from Mother Nature's face. She shrugged quite helplessly herself and offered a weak smile that made her look beautiful. "I am not sure. But I have looked almost everywhere while you were inside."

"You have been around the world in such a short time?" Ombric seemed startled. He grew more impressed by this awe inspiring Lady by the minute.

"In a way, yes. But I do not need to move myself physically to do so. I have searched all the places that he usually visits to hide, there are quite many actually and I dare say I know them all. But sometimes this happens and he just completely disappears from the radar. It's unsettling."

Privately Katherine thought that Mother Nature sure spent a lot of time nosing after her father or keeping an eye on him. It made her wonder if she really disliked him as much as she had let on. She scratched her neck and looked up at Nightlight with a slight smile. The boy had not left her side for a second ever since she had awoken. She still did not remember details about her parents but she was confident that she would sometime soon, probably when she last expected it. Then an idea suddenly struck her.

"What are you smiling about, child?" The nature spirit sneered, causing the girl to look up with a start.

"I just had an odd thought" she admitted. "Pitch has asked the Elephant for his memories, he wanted to remember you, right?"

Mother Nature's face slipped for a moment as her jaw dropped about an inch. That was a new bit of information for her and it had come so unexpectedly that she nearly stumbled back a step.

 _He wanted to remember... me? So he had forgotten me after all... but why would he do something like that? It's like... the exact opposite of what he had wanted the last time! Why? What has gotten into him?_

"And... did the Elephant... grant his wish?" she asked trying hard to keep a straight face.

Katherine just nodded and tried to do the same. She could not allow herself to smile or even grin. It might just offend that woman and endanger the feeble friendship she could feel building between her and the Guardians.

"He did. And then he actually unlocked my memories too. So that I could remember my parents. And it was Pitch who had asked him to do so... but what I was just thinking..."

The girl took a breath and tapped her chin thoughtfully as she rambled on. "I do want to remember them so much. I think I will try to find the place or at least the area where they had died, the last place I had seen them. I believe seeing this place might perhaps trigger my memories."

She looked up and into Mother Nature's startling emerald eyes seriously. "Perhaps Pitch has gone to a place that might trigger his memories of you. Somewhere he would feel close to you. Do you know a place like this?"

The tall woman in the flowing gown and cloak looked at the young girl in disbelief. But then she noticed that spectral boy. He was looking at her too, intently and he was nodding. The other Guardians shrugged and looked doubtful but perhaps... perhaps the child was right. But what kind of place would do that for _him_?

"I don't think much of that idea" she admitted blankly. "But looking will do no harm. You people wish to find them too, don't you?"

All of them nodded and then Mother Nature closed her eyes and looked very hard. There were a few places scattered around the world, secret places where no human ever went. A tiny oasis in the middle of one of the worlds deadliest deserts where she tended flowers of such magnificence that any human who would venture in would be overwhelmed by their intoxicating scents and the bright colors.

There was a similar place deep within the ice of Antarctica. Only a little light ever touched the blooming place that was nourished by a fertile hot spring. She also had a small garden deep within the uninhabited mountain ranges of the Andes and another one inside a sacred shrine in Japan. This was the only one she allowed humans to see. Yet there was no sign of her father.

And then of course there was her crown jewel. The vast garden that had even gone down into man's myths and legends and it was indeed an incredible place to behold, not just to the eye but to all senses. But to her knowing, no living creature had ever set eyes on Shangri-La, except of course the local wildlife.

So Mother Nature was nearly startled out of her skin when she found who she was looking for right there.

"What?" she gasped. "How? _How_ did he find this place? Why is he there? How _dare_ he enter my most sacred realm?" But then, he had not really trespassed. He was somewhere on the towering mountains surrounding the place... no... not actually on a mountain, she realized.

A maze of caves ran through those mountains. And some of them led straight into her secret world. A garden of immense proportions. An Eden where the world was still whole and perfect and innocent. A paradise that she called her home! But Mother Nature knew that none of these caves reached the outside world. They snaked through the rock like veins of ore, connecting here and there, they created balconies from where one could look all over her private Eden. And it was on one of those balconies where she located the presence of her father.

"How dare he?" she rasped again and only then noticed that seven Guardians of all ages and statures were staring at her eagerly.

"You found him?" North prompted her, his eyes glinting with excitement.

"I have indeed" she admitted but didn't sound happy at all, but then she looked down at the child again. That girl who had given her the hint. "You are a clever one, aren't you?"

Katherine blushed violently. "I have been taught by the best." She looked up at Ombric, who smiled down at her proudly. "But it was probably just a lucky guess."

"Will you tell us where they are?" Bunnymund inquired and Mother Nature looked at him curiously. She had heard about the Pookas when she had still been a child. He was yet another relic of the Golden Age, the last survivor of a race that had been wiped out by none other than her corrupted father. She respected him, somehow. And admired him too, for his resolve and the fact that he was here now, so close to avenging his people.

"I could" she said quite haughtily. "But you would never find the place. And I will never tell you where it is. I can't let you know the location. The place is mine! Interference would only lead to change and destruction. But I can take you there just this once and then back again."

"Like you took Liz and me the last time we had met here" Katherine said nodding. "We would not know where we are or remember the way."

"Exactly!"

"Then let's go. I want a word with both of them!" North said firmly and with a spark in his eyes that Mother Nature did not like. The man was longing for battle, he was craving it. But she would never allow blood to be spilled anywhere near her beloved domain.

"I will take you" she told him and squared her shoulders. "Under one condition, you will not touch my father. I know he is beyond reason and a madman but he is the only family I've got."

Toothiana had been watching Mother Nature closely all the time. She knew and understood her purpose. They were not so different after all and perhaps one day this fierce woman would make a fine Guardian too. She too was protecting something precious on this world and even though she was in no way involved with humans, she seemed to have a kind and caring heart somewhere under this cold shell.

"We won't" she promised. "We only wish to know what is going on... and perhaps talk to our young friend."

"The girl" Mother Nature huffed and nodded. "Take her wherever you like. She is all yours!"

"We are not allowed to take her away from Pitch though" Ombric muttered silently but the powerful nature spirit heard him anyway.

"What?" she breathed. "But she is one of you, isn't she? Why won't you take her home? She will be safe and happy there!"

"We can't" Katherine sighed. "The Elephant made it clear that we must not take her away. He said Pitch needs her. And I agree. She has changed everything somehow. She has destroyed all those fearlings and now..."

"My Katherine is right, Queen Mother of Nature" Nightlight suddenly cut in. "He is no longer possessed by evil. He is free now and he will need a friend beside him to help him find his way!"

"A friend" the tall woman snorted. "Will she not replace me as his own... his child?"

She could feel rage welling up inside her again. And jealously. She should be the one to safe him from all of this but she could not. She had been horrible to him, she knew that now. She had made it quite clear that she hated his guts and didn't care an atom about him. She had been so angry. But he had abandoned her, had he not? Somewhere deep inside she knew that this was not true and now Pitch, her father had even asked that flying Elephant to restore his memories. He wanted to know who he was, he wanted to remember is past and everything that he had lost. But why?

Mother Nature rubbed her hands across her face, trying to think straight. He wanted to remember her. Did that mean that he wanted her back?

"We won't learn anything as long as we stand here like posts" she said finally and held out her hands. "Form a circle and hold hands with me" she ordered. "I shall take you to Shangri-La!"

"Shangri..." Ombric gasped and so did Bunnymund but as all of their eyes widened with wonder, they did what Mother Nature had told them. They formed a small circle and held hands. Katherine and Nightlight split apart and each of them took one of the nature spirits hands. The spectral boy almost shivered when he sensed the power that was running through her but Katherine just stood there and smiled up at that lovely face. She didn't feel it.

She tore her gaze away for a moment and smiled at her dear Nightlight. And then at all the others. North, who was standing next to her, Bunnymund who was next in the circle, the Sandman, or Sandy as she used to call him now and then the fairy-like Queen Toothiana and Ombric who had taken the hand of the spectral boy. And then the storm came.

"Hold on tight!" Mother Nature's voice yelled over the sudden noise and then they were whisked away. The wind was buffeting them around and all they could do was indeed hold on.

They all felt that they were spinning through the air at incredible speed. They could barely see each other but they hung on with all their might, not wanting to loose anyone on the way. The world whirled past beneath them in a blur and it was hard to breath. But it only lasted about a minute or two. Then the storm died down a bit, but it held them aloft.

They were floating, all of them just like Mother Nature, above a place they could not have imagined in their wildest dreams. Walls of rock rose up around them and the sky above them was red and golden. The sun was rising – or setting – they could not tell. And below them they saw a valley, embedded into the mountains and it was green, speckled with colors of all shades imaginable. A sparkling stream ran through it, carrying the clearest water.

Trees of all kinds were growing around it's shore. Some were abloom in bright red, brilliant pinks and whites. Others were already bearing fruits. There were evergreens higher up around the edges of the vale and there was lush green grass and reeds and millions of flowers. Morning glories and ivy were creeping up the stems of trees and wild roses were clinging to others.

It was a garden, a wild garden but everything was lovely and strong and healthy.

The Guardians could see a few deer grazing in a meadow. Smaller critters like squirrels and rabbits where bouncing about but there were also predators. A family of snow leopards was dozing on on a few rocks, lazily looking at a herd of gazelles that jumped by across the vast, colorful plane.

The place was huge and everything seemed in balance and the only sounds came from the rushing water of the stream and the birds singing.

Mother Nature waited patiently for her guests to take it all in but then North's voice disturbed the peace.

"Shangri-La" he breathed in wonder. "When I was still a Cossack, I believed that treasure was to be found here. But now as a Guardian... I realize that it is true. It is just not the kind of treasure thieves hope to find."

"Right" Bunnymund replied and looked around. This place was just what he wanted for his warren. He wanted it to look just like that but the feeling was not right. He wanted an aura of hope in his place but this place held an aura of eternity instead. But it was quite close to what he had in mind. But as North had said, this place was a treasure in itself and he understood clearly why Mother Nature wanted to keep it secret.

North had looked around enough and was now getting impatient. He could not see Pitch or Melissa anywhere. "Yeah, yeah... it's pretty" he huffed and then felt the tall woman's grim eyes on him.

"It is beautiful" he rephrased with an apologetic smile. "But where are they?"

That one question brought everyone back on track. Mother Nature had already scanned most of the likely places but it was Sanderson who spotted them first.

He tugged at Mother Nature's cloak and pointed at a small balcony. And they all looked at he spot at the same time.

A tunnel came out of the rock only a few meters past and then disappeared into the mountain again. It was just a bit of passage but it was quite broad and scattered with rocks.

Right there were the people they had come looking for. The Nightmare King himself and the young girl, Melissa and they were both fast asleep.

Pitch had leaned his back against one of the rocks and was looking quite comfortable. His arms were wrapped around Melissa, who sat on his lap, resting against his chest. It was a picture of perfect tranquility and peace.

As the surprised Guardians looked closer they noticed that the Nightmare King's face contorted slightly and that his arms pulled the girl closer to himself. Melissa instinctively dug her fingers deeper into his robes cuddled into him.

Pitch looked different from when they had last seen him on the Moon. His robes were plainer and that now almost serene expression on his sleeping face was nothing they would have ever expected.

For a few long minutes all they could do was stare, Mother Nature included. Then the tall woman dared to break the silence.

"This is... " she whispered.

"... adorable!" Toothiana agreed.

"He Looks as if he could not hurt a fly" Ombric breathed.

"Perhaps he won't" Nightlight whispered and nudged his girlfriend.

"This is it" Katherine nodded with a knowing smile. "This is what Manny wanted her to do!" she realized. "He said she would be important. But defeating Pitch in a battle or killing him was never his plan... Liz was his secret weapon! She changed him, and now... he is no longer dangerous!"

"Yes" Nightlight agreed. "Now that those shadows are gone, he is free to make his own choices. And Liz will be here to help him. And we should be here to help him too, but I don't think he would ever allow us to do so. He is way too proud. He would never ask for help!"

"Not even when it is forced upon him!" North remarked, still unable to get his eyes off the strange sleeping pair. The image just struck his soul in the most curious way. There was so much peace and love within that picture and his own heart was suddenly swelling up with it. Nightlight's words reminded him a lot of himself – of the way he had been when he had first come to Santoff Claussen; when he had been recovering from his battle against the Pitch-possessed Bear. Back then, Katherine had done for him what Melissa seemed to be doing for the Nightmare King now.

Sandy, who was next to him and had been quiet for a long time decided to share his thoughts with everyone. "It was darkness that had corrupted him and forced him to do all those terrible deeds. But now he is free. He once was a great general, a hero of the golden ages... and a loving father. Perhaps he will be so again."

"With that little girl's help, he just might be" Toothiana agreed and Ombric nodded.

Mother Nature did not say a word. She was still staring at her father and the little dark-haired girl he cradled in his arms.

"So, what will we do now?" Ombric asked. He had grown up and old with the thought that Pitch was evil and way beyond salvation but the latest events had shown him that he had been wrong – or still learning, even at his age. He was quite ready to go home and call it a day. But he wanted to know what his friends were thinking.

"We will do nothing" North said suddenly and with determination. "This is how things should be. Pitch needs Melissa and I think she needs him too, as a substitute for her dead parents perhaps. She needs someone to look after her and this Nightmare King might just be the one. I still don't like the idea, but..."

"This must be what Manny had in mind" Katherine agreed and then she sighed deeply. "We will have to trust her but I feel so bad about leaving it all to her, about leaving her with him. I so wish I could talk to her and tell her that we are all here for her too."

The other Guardians nodded in unison and then it was Sandy, who looked up at his old friend, Mother Nature who had not said a word since their discovery.

"Emily Jane" he addressed her mentally. "What would you have us do?"

She looked around at him with a sad smile. "Go home. All of you. Leave this to me but expect me to drop by to tell you."

"You want us to leave the girl here?" Sandy asked her carefully, knowing how she felt about the child being close to her father. She was jealous still, but that smile on her face...

"I can read your thoughts you know, Captain Sandy. Don't worry. I will not hurt that girl again. I will merely be here and keep a close eye on them. But first, I should get you all home." She smiled still "Santoff Claussen or the North Pole?" she asked aloud.

"Santoff Claussen" they all said in unison and instantly the wind picked up.

Minutes later the Guardians were greeted by their friends in the village and they sure had a lot to explain to all of them. But they were weary, tired and still a bit dizzy from the wild ride. Even North decided to stay in the village for the night.

They all sat down in the square in the center of the village and the djinni was serving them brandy and handed out mugs of hot chocolate to the children as they all listened to the amazing story their Guardians had to tell.

Mother Nature had not lingered but had simply dropped them off. The moment everyone had solid ground beneath their feet, she disappeared and Katherine was a bit sad that she didn't even get the chance to thank her for the ride, no matter how uncomfortable it might have been.

While everyone was sitting down and getting comfortable, she remained in the spot where she had been dropped and looked up into the sky with an uneasy feeling. She had not forgotten the wrath in Mother Nature's eyes when she had first mentioned Melissa. That woman hated her friend, perhaps more than she could ever hate Pitch. She was jealous of her and now she was probably back there already... in Shangri-La. What would stop her from removing that obstacle in her way? She had promised not to hurt her... _again_... meaning she had done so before... No, Katherine didn't like it one bit.

She looked around uncertainly for Nightlight. She longed to hear him say that everything would be alright. But Nightlight had followed North and Ombric. When he had noticed that Katherine wasn't following, he looked back and noticed that she was not alone.

And only now did the girl notice as well that the Sandman was hovering next to her, smiling serenely.

"Sandy" she whispered. "I didn't even notice you were there."

"I can feel you are still worried for your friend" he spoke into her mind.

Kathrine nodded almost anxiously. Did the golden dreamweaver know something she didn't?

"Don't worry" he told her and his smile became a bit more gentle. "No harm will come to her."

"But … " she breathed and then remembered something else. "Sandy, you are friends with that woman. You arrived on this world together, right?"

"Sort of" Sandy replied thoughtfully. "She was trapped within the shooting star I rode and when we crashed it shattered and is now nothing more and nothing less than my dreamsand. The moment it shattered I fell asleep for hundreds of years, but she was set free. While I was sleeping, she grew more powerful than any creature I have ever known. But do not be afraid. She will not break her promise."

He seemed so sure and certain of this that Katherine managed to relax a bit and smile back at him. But then she grimaced a bit and shrugged.

"What about Pitch?" she dared to ask.

"You worry about him as well?" the Sandman wondered but his smile was knowing.

"A bit" the girl shrugged. "Do you think he'll be alright?"

"I don't know. But I do have hope. I think it's coming from Bunnymund. He's so well spirited lately, he is giving hope to all of us. It seems to follow him around wherever he goes, don't you feel it?"

And Katherine could only nod and smile as she looked back over her shoulder at the others. The Pooka was sitting next to North, talking silently while Ombric was trying to tell everyone what had happened. The other children were looking at her hopefully and Kat knew that they wanted her to tell the story.

Then she noticed Nightlight, who was standing close by, looking at her too as if uncertain to approach while she was in conversation. She smiled at him and nodded.

"And besides that, Katherine" Sandy's voice echoed through her mind and made her look back at him again. "Nightlight was right, I do believe it too at least. Mother Nature still harbors feelings for her father. But she is proud and perhaps a bit vain, she is his daughter after all. They are not so different. She would never attack him or Melissa while they are sleeping."

 _But what when they wake up?_

Kathrine shrugged and stared at her feet suddenly. Then a new thought hit her from out of nowhere.

"Sandy?" she asked carefully. "You are most familiar with dreams... and with wishes too, aren't you?"

The newest Guardian nodded with a mysterious smile.

"Could you see what they were dreaming? What they were wishing for?"

"Your friend and the Nightmare King?" Sandy's smile grew a bit wider. "I certainly did. But I won't tell you what they were."

 _I have never been able to see Pitch's dreams and wishes. It is strange, but now I can. I can sense them even from here! They are so powerful... perhaps it was those fearlings that shrouded them from me?_

The girl sighed deeply with disappointment, pulling the Sandman out if his thoughts. But then he suddenly nudged her into the side almost playfully.

"But their wishes were worthy. Both of them. You might not have noticed it, but they are both currently dreaming up ways to make those wishes come true."

Katherine's eyes grew wider.

 _Right! That's what Sandy told us. If he deems a wish worthy he will give the person a beautiful dream that might show them a way to make this wish come true!_

"So you... you gave them good dreams? Both of them? I never noticed!"

Sandy shrugged. Neither of the two had been having any bad dreams at the moment but he had send their weary minds on a ride without anyone noticing it. He had never imagined sending a golden dream to the Nightmare King himself, but seeing those two... huddled against each other... both of them giving the other comfort with their mere presence... the picture was still burned into his mind. He had seen both of their wishes.

Melissa who used to be a vivid and playful young one had become earnest and a bit gloomy after her mother's demise. Her life from this day on had been simply about survival. And when her father had died so horribly, she had isolated herself from everyone. But then she had come to Santoff Claussen and had met Katherine.

She had opened up to her and to the other children too. She now knew that she was not alone in this world. She knew that even without her parents, she could still have friends and perhaps a home. She could still be happy! And then she had found a new kind of happiness in Pitch's caverns.

Sandy had seen it all in her sleeping mind and it had given him more hope than perhaps even the Pooka ever could. She had gotten to know the Nightmare King and had soon realized that he was not a vicious monster but someone who needed help to find his way back to himself. And she wanted to help him with all her heart.

The swirling bit's of pictures and emotions he had seen in this dark-haired girl's mind had shown him perhaps the most beautiful and worthy wish he had ever come across on this world. And she had done so much already, completely without his help!

 _She would make a wonderful Guardian... a better one than me perhaps. She has all the faith and determination a human can have... and that after all she has been through at such a young age. Or perhaps it is because of what she has been through... she is so understanding. She has truly managed to tame that monster... and now she has set him free..._

He had seen the Nightmare King's dream too and had felt his wishes. And they had startled him at first but after looking into the girls sleeping mind he was not really that surprised.

All Pitch wanted was to remember. Not because he wanted to know who he had been, but because he so longed for a family. He had been alone for as long as he could remember, with no one to talk to, with no one to comfort or encourage him when things had gone wrong... and everything had been going wrong for him for a long time. He had been frozen in time for centuries, trapped within nightmares with no way out.

He should have been consumed by them and left as nothing but an evil specter, a ghost... but Sandy now understood: As Nightlight had struck him through the heart with that diamond dagger, embedding himself into him... he had not just petrified him for all this time, he had also kept him alive. His light, this boy's beautiful spectral light had saved and protected that shred of humanity deep within him.

And now after he had been awakened again by the moonbeam that now resided within the boy's Crystal blade, he was more receptive for light that he had before. And the more he had come in contact with the Guardians, even though he did not know it, he had changed and had felt his loneliness more profoundly than ever. And then he had decided to save that girl, Melissa, from certain death and taken her to his caves.

Sandy sighed deeply himself as he thought about this new Nightmare King and looked down at the auburn-haired girl next to him. They were so alike. And yet so unlike each other. That Melissa, that he didn't even know in person... her dream... Pitch's dream... he felt so close to them.

 _They both long for someone to hold on to. An anchor, a harbor, someone they could trust. Something only a family can provide. And Pitch has found it in that girl. I saw it. But Emily Jane won't like it... whatever she says, she loves him too._

Sandy looked up at the sky and smiled at the Man in the Moon. _Oh Manny, I wish Pitch knew how much he is loved!_

Nightlight, who had walked up to them studied Sandy's hopeful round face. "Is he?" he asked with his old smile, full of fun right back in place.


	18. Chapter 18

Back in Shangri-La Mother Nature had hidden herself in semi shadow not far from the two sleepers. They were not truly inside her domain, not really out of it either but still on neutral ground. They were just beyond the boundaries from where they could see but did still not intrude.

She sat on a rock on the very same balcony and wondered if her father knew that, for her, Shangri-La was the closest thing to what she would call home. Did he know that this was the last place on earth, she would ever go looking for him? Or did he want to be found?

 _No! Obviously not. Had he wanted me to find him, he would have walked right in! But why did he come here of all places? What made him think this would be safe? The safest place to take his … substitute daughter?_

Mother Nature sat there for a long, long time wondering why she felt the way she did. Why did she feel so threatened by this tiny human creature? She wanted the girl out of the way, but still... she had done and changed so much. She had done what she, herself should perhaps have done. She had eliminated all those fearlings and set him free.

 _But I helped... I fought them too outside the temple... but inside, the Man in the Moon, Lunar helped her to destroy the majority of them... he used the child as a conduit to channel his power. To save my father! Why would he do that?_

She looked over at the slumbering Nightmare King and the young girl who was still burying her face in the folds those strangely plain looking robes and was actually hugging him in her sleep now. Her arms had slipped underneath his and were wrapped around his torso and she was smiling.

Mother Nature's eyes narrowed to slits.

 _What the heck is she dreaming?_

But as she watched the Nightmare King wrapped his own arms more tightly around the sleeping girl with a slightly pained smile. But only a moment later he relaxed again and his hand slid down Melissa's back as he exhaled. They seemed so close, not just physically but on a mental level as well.

Emily Jane frowned even deeper at this, feeling more than ever that it should be her – and not this intruder. _She_ was his little girl after all but then she sighed deeply and with some effort she managed to let go of those jealous thoughts.

 _Could I even hug him like that? Even though he's my father, he has been the Nightmare King for such a long time. But now with his memories unlocked... what if he wakes up and is Kozmotis Pitchiner again? My Daddy! That wonderful man I used to love so much... I know that what happened to him was not really his fault..._

"But if he is" she thought suddenly. "if he wakes up as the man he used to be, it will not be my achievement. It was this stubborn child..."

She looked up as she caught a slight movement. The girl was stirring, scratching her neck, releasing her hold on Pitch. She yawned widely.

Melissa came to slowly. She had no idea where she was or what had happened. She had had such a wonderful dream and now that she was awakening, she felt warm and comfortable and content. She moved slightly and felt a pair of arms around her.

 _Father?_

That's what it felt like. She remembered it clearly, waking up with her dear father beside her in some wild place with the morning sun shining down on them. But then she realized with a little start that it could not be. Her father was dead and she had been left with strangers until...

She sat up carefully and was instinctively released. For a moment she just stared blankly at the Nightmare King as the memories of what had happened earlier flooded back into her mind. Punjam Hy Loo, the Elephant, the fearling attack and the voice of the Man in the Moon in her mind. And then the light. The light rushing through her body.

 _Light!_

She looked around in sudden fear. They were not inside Pitch's caves. It was far too bright! Melissa turned around slowly and saw that they were on a kind of natural balcony overlooking a valley. The sun was shining brightly but did not touch them where they sat. But the golden rays hit the ground only a few steps away while they remained in the shadow. Her strange friend was sleeping and seemed to the least disturbed by the brightness surrounding them.

With a sigh of relief she freed herself completely from his embrace and got to her feet. A bit dizzy from the deep and unnatural sleep, she stretched and then her eyes fell upon the valley below. Her mouth fell open and she stared down at the beautiful vast garden awestruck.

Her feet moved forward towards the rocky balustrade automatically but just before the tips of her toes were in the sunlight she stopped herself. This place was beautiful beyond imagination. It was a miracle of nature... _of Nature!_

"Like what you see?" a low but yet feminine voice asked from somewhere to her left but all she could do for a moment was nod.

"I've never seen anything more beautiful" she whispered in spite of herself, hardly noticing that she had heard this voice before. But then as it slowly sunk into her mind she could feel her heart sink.

 _Yes... truly a miracle of Nature! Oh Pitch, what has gotten into you to come here? You got us right into hell's kitchen..._

She tensed visibly and braced herself before she realized that she was probably supposed to say something else.

"It's yours, isn't it?" she asked, forcing herself to remain calm. Then she turned around very slowly to face the woman she knew would be close by.

"My what?" was the answer as Melissa looked hard but still did not see Mother Nature. Only when the powerful spirit moved did she become aware of the fact that she was sitting on a rock in plain sight but in the shade of some vines that fell down from above like a curtain. The sunlight that fell through it cast a pattern of light and shadow that rendered her almost invisible.

The girl didn't recognize the plant. It had large pink flowers that looked exotic and startlingly beautiful. Her eyes lingered on the flowers for a moment before she drew her attention to the woman and shrugged.

"Your home, your garden, your sanctuary. I don't know what you would call it..."

"All of it, I guess" Mother Nature admitted and to Melissa's utmost surprise there was a slight smile in her voice. She still could not see her face clearly. But she seemed to gaze through the veil of leafs down into her private paradise.

Melissa was terribly scared and found it hard to think straight. There was no telling just how long Mother Nature had been there, watching them. And they had been asleep all this time. She could have killed them both at her leisure, but they were still alive and completely unharmed from what she could tell.

Then she frowned a bit. That woman would not kill her own father. Not after going through the trouble of saving him before. But what about herself?

"I do have trouble believing that he had the gall to come here of all places." Mother Nature's words pulled the girl out of her thoughts. "And on top of it... bring _you_ along."

"Me too" Melissa admitted, agreeing with her wholeheartedly for once but then she decided to just cut the conversation short. "So, what will you do? Will you finish the job?"

For a few moments even the great Mother Nature was struck with how firm the girl's voice was and then her eyes widened a bit. Her voice! She had never talked with her voice before! Even back in that forest of ancient trees, when she had been giving her the dressing down of her life, she had never spoken above a whisper. But now... how had it happened? Had her voice just healed by itself?

The child herself did not even notice it. She was way to anxious and her full attention was on Mother Nature, not missing the slightest movement, not even the twitch of an eyebrow or the way her long ebony hair moved in the slight breeze. When the tall woman suddenly shook her head and slipped gracefully down from her perch, Melissa took a mistrustful step back.

The spirit stepped into the sunlight and allowed the girl to see her in all her glory. She did indeed look very beautiful and not just that, she seemed to radiate power. But still she made no move to attack. Instead she studied the girl from tip to toe. "I should really like to know what he is to you" she cocked her head Pitch's way, who was still sleeping peacefully, oblivious to what was going on around him.

"I don't know" Melissa shrugged. There was no way she could come up with a lie under Mother Nature's piercing eyes. All she could do was tell the truth and hope for the best. "I was so very afraid of him at first, but then... He did save my life after you... after you..."

"After I punished you for your lack of respect" Mother Nature helped her out quite willingly but her voice was cold.

The girl flinched slightly but then nodded. "That was totally uncalled for, I know... I'm sorry. I have that bad habit of speaking my mind without thinking. And I'm really sorry. I had no idea back then..."

"Very well" the woman cut her off. She had no desire to go through this again. "So, he took you in..."

"He locked me up in a cage" the girl pointed out. "He said that he would turn me into a fearling if he had no better use for me. And I wanted to escape. But then... things happened. He started acting nicely because he wanted some information from me, but I refused to tell him. Then I decided to play the same game because I wanted to get him to trust me and let his guard down and give me a chance to run."

"Seems like an unlikely strategy... at least for him" Mother Nature remarked with a rather disdainful grin and Melissa could not help but smile a bit herself.

"That's what I thought too" she chuckled nervously but then continued talking. She told her about the attacks of the fearlings and how Pitch had finally let her out of the cage and most of what she thought important.

"So it was your own decision to stay" Mother Nature finally summed it up and frowned. "Why?"

"I could not forget what my friend Katherine had told me about that battle at the Earth's Core. About his reaction when she had shoved that locket into his face..."

"What locket?" The great nature spirit's frown grew even deeper in suspicion.

"It has your picture in it" Melissa whispered and stared at her toes. "When you were a child."

"I had given it to him... so that he would never forget me. But he did forget me after all."

"That was not his fault!" the girl burst out quite loudly and then almost choked as her hand reached up to her throat and her eyes nearly popped out of her head in surprise. "My voice..." she gasped.

Mother Nature stared at her curiously. "You had not even noticed" she realized then and began to giggle almost girlishly.

"No... I hadn't! Why is it back? They said my vocal chords were... broken!" Melissa was still running her fingers over her throat feeling totally bewildered. What had happened? But then she remembered screaming at the fearlings when she had been infused with that sudden power, that light. "The Man in the Moon" she whispered in awe.

When she noticed Mother Nature's confused expression she smiled up at her quite happily. "I believe I have the Man in the Moon to thank for that. But where were we? Right. It was not his fault! I believe the fearlings must have something to do with his memory loss. I've seen what they've been doing to him and I'm quite sure about it now. They've been controlling him all this time. The Elephant knows it too. Go and ask him if you don't believe me..."

"I believe you" the woman interrupted. "I already know that those monsters attacked the temple because they knew he wanted to remember."

 _She believes me? What is going on? She seems so different suddenly... almost friendly and... hopeful?_

Melissa looked up in startled surprise but those green eyes were just looking down at her with a glint of urgency and there was hope in them indeed, and longing.

"He wanted to remember you" she told her seriously, the urgency in her own voice matching that in the spirit's eyes. "He wanted his memories... he wanted everything back that those fearlings had taken from him and Mother Nature... " Melissa sighed deeply and looked around at Pitch, whohad still not moved despite their conversation.

"About what you asked me... what he is to me. He is my friend... perhaps even a fatherly friend..."

The spirit's eyes narrowed at that but she did not interrupt the child.

"... but no one can replace my real parents! I will always remember them and love them as such. And I would never... EVER get between you and him! I would never try to steal him away from you or take your place! And after what he has done to get his memories back, you should know that he would not allow that either. He remembers nothing of you, yet. But he knows you are his daughter - his _real_ daughter, and he loves you the way only a father can. I know it! If I have learned one thing during the few weeks that I have spent with him it is this!"

The girl took a deep breath and looked up into that lovely face pleadingly. But when Mother Nature said nothing and just kept looking at her with those mossy green eyes, Melissa couldn't help but speak on. She had to convince that powerful and fierce woman of the truth.

"It's not just the memories he wanted back. He only did all of this because he wants you back with him. And he is not a bad person, no matter what he has done under the fearling's control or what everyone seems to think. He might be different but he's not evil! Otherwise he would have never been able to enter that temple! Please, talk to the Elephant some time. He will be able to explain it much better than me. He seems to know things..."

"Melissa!" Mother Nature stopped her babbling with one stern word. Her name. Liz had not expected her to know it and she fell silent instantly.

"I told you that I believe you, haven't I?"

The girl was breathing as hard as if she had just run a mile and her heart was beating as if she had been fighting for her life but she had never before talked that much to get herself out of a fix. But she believed that every single word was true.

 _And she believes me... she does... is she not going to kill me after all?_

For what seemed like minutes they only looked at each other. Melissa with fearful wide eyes and the spirit with that scrutinizing glare as if she was trying to dissect her and find out what was inside of her.

"So, what are you to him?"

Melissa wasn't quite sure what to say and she only shrugged. "That I don't know. I am only human. I can't read minds."

"But what do you believe?" Mother Nature pressed on. "What are you? His prisoner? His friend? His ally? His substitute daughter? His tool? How does he feel about you?"

All the girl could do for a moment or two was stare. She was properly dumbfounded and a few of those words did sting a quite bit. But she knew that there was nothing gained in lying. Melissa siged again and looked down at the ground before her feet. She looked thoroughly guilty and felt it too, even though she really had done nothing wrong.

"He mentioned once, that he would adopt me gladly" she admitted meekly and Mother Nature could hear the fear in her shaky voice. "He might have only said that to make me feel better or maybe it was his idea of a good joke, but I believe that he had been sincere."

Melissa was terribly afraid but she dared to peek up into those piercing eyes and found herself trembling. "But you remember what I told you before... I would never get in the way... unless you would like a younger adopted sister that is..."

Mother Nature scowled at her as if she had thrown dung into her face and Melissa felt close to a panic and even closer to tears.

But then, all of a sudden the scowl vanished and made space for a rather vacant expression.

"He cares about you that much... but I can't blame him" she sighed. "You are a courageous and gutsy young person. You even found ways to follow him all the way to the Moon. He would have perished there if it had not been for you. Why did you go through so much trouble to save him? Because you had grown fond of him? Because..."

"Yes, and because I knew that he deserved a second chance!" Melissa interrupted her and the scowl was right back on.

"I'm sorry" the girl quickly apologized. "I really mean no disrespect but I know him! At least I believe that I know him... and I knew back then that he wasn't as bad as everyone had told me. And I knew what had been going on with those fearlings. Loosing him like this would have meant that all my hard work would have been for nothing. I tried to stop him, to talk him out of it. I really did! But I am only a child and he simply locked me up in the cage again and ran off on that suicide mission."

"But you escaped your prison and went after him..."

"I just could not loose him... not like that! All I wanted was to help somehow. Please! Believe me, I asked myself many times during that trip why I was doing it and why I was not just running away..."

"So why didn't you? You could have been free." Mother Nature inquired, now quite captured with the girls story.

Melissa looked up at her with tears in her eyes. "Because I believed in him and I still do, more than ever!"

"You _believe_ in him?" the mighty nature spirit closed the distance between them and knelt down in front of the trembling girl. She could see a tear running down her left cheek.

 _So much pain and fear, so much sorrow and yet, so much hope. Hope that I have abandoned ages ago when I gave up on him..._

Suddenly Mother Nature felt so bad. About herself, about loosing this kind of hope. She remembered that very same child rasping at her voicelessly that perhaps her father had needed to be saved just as much as she had while she had been waiting in vain for him to come and find her.

"I have faith in him" Melissa whispered, trying to choke down the tears that would not stop coming. She was so scared and alone with this fierce woman and Pitch was still asleep. He would not come to her aid and neither would the Guardians, or would they? She was alone again, alone with Mother Nature, who had tried to kill her once and then she suddenly felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She dared to open her burning eyes and instantly looked straight into the nature spirit's deep green ones again - there was no avoiding them, they were so close. She could see the reflection of this wondrous, beautiful landscape below within them. They were serious and haunting but no longer cold. And that hand on her shoulder was so warm and comforting, it gave her courage to ask the one question.

"What will you do… to me?" she stammered nervously.

At this Mother Nature actually let out a rather merry laugh, but a short one none the less.

"Nothing" she replied simply, but kept smiling. Now that she knew and understood everything, all the glares and scowls were gone. Perhaps she had been wrong to dislike this child so much but she was not sorry for what she had done.

Fate, after all worked in mysterious ways. If she had not beaten Melissa to an inch of her life, nothing would have changed. Pitch would perhaps still have gone through with his plan... he might have even succeeded or he might have died. But he would have been a slave to those monsters until the end.

"I will only thank you for saving him, for giving him that chance" she whispered and patted the child's trembling shoulder. "I will not harm you... or him. So stop shivering and being so afraid. It should have been me all along. But I had been blinded and consumed by hatred myself. I just didn't know it. Now be at ease, child."

Melissa felt close to fainting. She didn't understand. Her young mind could not grasp what had just happened. Her deep blue eyes were full of doubt when she searched Mother Natures face in vain for any sign of deceit.

"You...are... not angry?" she stammered shakily and saw how the tall woman shook her head. That incredibly long black hair fell around her cheeks and down her shoulders like a cloak, making her fair face stand out even more and her eyes were sparkling.

"I used to be" she said thoughtfully in that low voice. "I had been angry for such a long time. At everything, at mankind, at the whole world, at him of course and then at you and most of all at myself."

She sighed and stroked back her hair as she rose back up and Melissa had to crane her neck to look into her face.

"But I am not angry anymore" Mother Nature proclaimed. "Because you have given me something, I haven't had in all those years. Something I have lost a long time ago."

The girl frowned at this, wondering and racking her brain but could not think of anything she might have given that mighty queen of nature. But curiosity made her forget her shyness.

"And what would that be?"

Mother Nature smiled down at her and Melissa's eyes grew quite round when she saw pride within those sparkling green ones, pride and genuine gratitude.

"Hope Melissa, you have given me hope! Thank you for this."

"Er" the girl mumbled and shrugged. She felt quite embarrassed. "You are welcome. But... "

"Yes?"

"What will happen now? What will you do?"

Mother Nature looked around thoughtfully and let her gaze linger on the paradise below. "What will happen... no one knows... but what will be will be, right? As for myself, I might just take your advise and visit that Elephant some time soon. But right now... I'm not sure. I have things to do. Being who I have become comes with a lot of responsibility after all."

Then she looked down at the child with a bright smile. "Would you like a tour around Shangri-La before I leave?" she nodded down into the valley.

Melissa gasped at this and looked down into the enormous Eden in wonder and she really felt quite tempted. But then she looked back at Pitch and sighed. She shook her head slowly.

"It sounds wonderful and I really, really would like to see it all. Shangri-La... I have heard stories. I never thought I would ever lay eyes on this place... but I don't want to leave him alone."

"He will be safe here. Don't you trust me?"

"You said that you would not harm me, so I do trust you." Melissa whispered but the powerful spirit could still hear the sorrow in her voice. "But it just doesn't feel right."

"You would be the first human to ever visit this place" Mother Nature tempted her. "Are you not curious?"

A smile crept over the girls face and she could feel her cheeks blush a bit. "I am curious, very much so even. It is so beautiful and I would like nothing better than to see it all up close, but... this place... if no human has ever been down there... it is pristine. Don't you think it should stay that way?"

 _What a mysterious child. I offer her the glories of Shangri-La and she refuses. She is wiser than her age lets on._

And this had been the last thing she needed to know. She was now sure that this child was pure and that she could trust her to do whatever was right. She could trust her with her father and that she was probably the best thing that could have happened to him, and to herself as well.

 _She has faith in him... and now so do I. And I have faith in her too. They will take good care of each other._

Mother Nature nodded with yet another smile and then just turned around, ready to leave. "In that case, I will get back to my chores. But just one thing, Melissa..."

"Yes?"

"Don't tell him a word about our conversation. Don't ever mention it!"

"But..."

"Just don't!" she told her quite sternly and Melissa immediately bit her lip.

"What if he asks directly?"

Mother Nature sighed deeply. Of course, the girl didn't want to lie to him.

"I know he feels anxious about me staying with him" the girl whispered and looked back at Pitch, hoping he would not choose this moment to wake up. "He already tried to talk me into going back to Santoff Claussen. He is worried that you might kill me on sight if I stay with him. But I don't want to leave... I have started something and I don't like to leave things unfinished!"

At this Mother Nature actually chuckled silently and graced the girl with a wide smile.

"Yes, I know. He's really that worried about you?" she shook her head and than ran her delicate hand across her face. "Still, don't tell him. And don't let him send you away - not just yet anyway. He needs you!"

"Perhaps" Melissa shrugged. "But he needs you more!"

Mother Nature raised a white hand in a halting gesture. "Not yet. Not until he has regained his memory and that might take a while. Right now he needs _you._ He trusts you. He knows you are his friend. So don't you leave him! Once he remembers, things will be alright and we will talk again. He will find me when he is ready and I will do my best not to be the jerk I used to be. But until then, stay with him and help him as much as you can."

They both smiled at each other. Melissa now understood perfectly and she nodded.

"My lips will be sealed" she promised. "But... Mother Nature?"

"Emily Jane" she corrected her and the girl stared at her blankly for a moment.

"Huh?"

"My name is Emily Jane, but don't tell him that either, will you?"

"That won't be necessary" the girl grinned. "He will remember soon enough anyway. But it is a lovely name!"

Then she held her small hand out to her, feeling very much like a conspirator. She was sharing secrets with a new friend and it felt good and rather exciting. She did not like to keep Pitch in the dark but it would be for his own good. He needed to find out for himself.

"Of course it is" Emily Jane grinned. "He gave it to me after all."

Mother Nature took her hand and shook it quite firmly, grinning like a mischievous little troll as she did and Melissa's wide smile matched her own. She felt like a little girl again and suddenly she realized that she had never had childhood friends back then on that small moon she had called her home.

But she had not really missed anything. Her parents had given her everything she had ever wanted and she had spent her time running wild in the forests and meadows surrounding their home, which was actually a small fortress, almost a castle. She had had her own small starship, a schooner and the creatures that roamed the planet had been her friends. But there had never been other children her age and only now did she realize how wonderful it would have been to have a child like Melissa around at that time. Or maybe a younger sister... she remembered the girl's words earlier and decided to think about it.

The girl sure was precious to her father but she would not stand between them. Suddenly that adoption idea didn't seem so hideous anymore but she was not quite ready to invite her into their little family. The girl was mortal however. She would last perhaps another few decades and then she would be gone anyway...

"Mothe...er Emily Jane?" Melissa whispered nervously.

The tall woman, friend or not, was still clutching her hand and had that strange grin plastered onto her face. But she was obviously lost in thoughts and was not letting go. Melissa began to feel queer and uncomfortable.

"Oh... sorry, dear" Mother Nature apologized as she became aware of the situation again. "Just some childhood memories" she winked and let go of the girls hand instantly.

"You are lucky to have them" Melissa smiled sincerely, not one bit afraid anymore. This powerful spirit was not so unlike herself, she realized. Even with all her might, she was still human at heart, just like herself and just like Pitch. She had been a child once, a little girl like herself and once again she longed to see that picture inside that locket.

 _I wonder what she was like when she was my age... she would have made an awesome friend. We would have had so much fun together... we would have gotten into so much troubl_ e...

"I think I should be on my way" Mother Nature said awkwardly and Melissa nodded.

"You don't want to wait until he wakes up and talk to him" she said understandingly.

"That would be counterproductive, don't you think? It would completely ruin our little secret!"

"It would" the child agreed. "And I promise that I will keep my word. I won't tell him a thing until he or you think the time is right to get in touch. I know that once he remembers you clearly, he will go looking for you. That's what this whole endeavor was all about in the first place."

"I know that now, little sister" Emily Jane winked at her and Melissa nearly jumped out of her boots at her words. "Take good care of him, Liz. Until we meet again."

And with that the air grew humid and fog instantly surrounded them both. Then the wind picked up and a moment later Mother Nature was gone.

Melissa was left quite alone on the rocky balcony but the air was clear again and she looked down onto that wonderful paradise with a smile on her face. Right now the world was just beautiful and full of wonders and delightful things. She had made a new unlikely friend. And she suddenly could not even understand why she had been so afraid of her.

"Emily Jane" she breathed and touched her throat again. She had her voice back, thanks to the Man in the Moon and she had never felt so hopeful and glad. Everything would be alright now. The world was whole and perfect. She was allowed to stay with Pitch and help him on his way back to himself. The fearlings were gone and Mother Nature... no Emily Jane, Pitch's daughter was now her friend and perhaps even more than that.

"Sister" she thought. "She called me little sister..."

She wiped her eyes and then, after giving Shangri-La one more admiring glance, she turned around and went back to her friend. She sat down close beside him and leaned her head against his side. It did not quite reach his shoulder, even though he was leaning back against the rock and he was sleeping so soundly.

Melissa snuggled herself into the folds of his robe and closed her eyes. They were safe here and she felt quite ready to let her guard down and relax. Her mind however remained wide awake and after a while her eyes opened again and she just watched the remaining sunlight on the rock before her. It never touched them but it had moved on and Melissa could see by the crimson tint that the sun was about to set. Night would be upon them soon.

 _Such a short day... this place must be pretty far north... how odd. It's so warm here... is that the magic of Mother Nature?_ _It has to be..._

The valley beneath them was glowing in the light of the setting sun and it looked more beautiful than ever. Creatures that were dormant during the day came out of their holes and caves and soon bats fluttered by and strange new sounds filled the air. Predators were on the hunt and the birds had stopped singing. Fearsome wild sounds of nightly activity rose up to them but Melissa was not afraid. She was in the safest place in the world with the one person she wanted to be with most.


	19. Chapter 19

Just as the last rays of sunlight were swallowed by the darkness, Pitch began to stir. First it was only his hand... Melissa had taken it some time ago but now his fingers wrapped around her's more tightly. Then his shoulders moved and the girl looked up.

"Pitch?" she whispered with a smile in her voice. "Pitch, are you awake?"

"Ummm... almost" he yawned and then his eyes flew open. Melissa, who was looking up into his face was amazed. They were so bright.

But his grip around her hand tightened even more and Pitch sat up straight. "Liz?"

"Right here" she whispered a bit startled. He sounded quite alarmed.

But then she could hear him sigh. "You alright?" he asked when he had relaxed a bit.

"Never better" she smiled up at him and then just made herself comfortable against the warm rock at her back and looked up at then dusky sky above. It was perfectly clear and the first stars were coming out. It was just like that other day, when they had been watching the night sky lighting up only better. She had never felt so peaceful and confident before.

A moment later she could sense him watching her intently. She looked up and realized that he was not just watching – he was staring.

"Liz... your voice..." he actually stammered. Melissa met his slightly shocked expression with a wide grin.

"Looks like you are not the only one who got something unlocked" she told him with a wink but did not go into details. She was not even sure if her strange friend was ready to hear the truth. She decided to quickly change the subject.

"This place is so beautiful" she sighed and gazed down into the dark valley. "You brought us here, didn't you?"

"I did" Pitch whispered in confirmation and pulled his hand out of hers. Instead he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her a little closer. He was looking up at the night sky as well. "This is probably the last place anyone would ever come looking for us, at least I hope so" he said quietly and she nodded.

"Brilliant choice" she smiled and thought about her encounter with Emily Jane. She knew, she could not possibly tell him. "But... how are you feeling? Do you think your memories..."

"They will come" Pitch interrupted her and felt sorry almost instantly. It was amazing to finally hear her voice but he was so excited, he simply couldn't stop himself. "In my dreams perhaps, but they will come back. I know it! I saw some of them already."

"Do you remember Em... er … your daughter?"

Melissa nearly bit off her tongue at her near lapse but Pitch didn't notice at all. He was too mesmerized by the dusky sky and the memory of his dreams. He had slept deeply and for the first time that he could remember, he had had pleasant dreams, wonderful ones. Dreams about his past. They had only been flickers, like that of a dying candle but he had seen faces and he could almost name them. He had seen his father; he had been a young boy again somewhere out there on a different world. He had chased across a lush meadow with a small creature that he could not name - but he knew it had been a family member, a pet - and had heard his parents laugh. In all of his life, he had never had a more beautiful dream.

It was so unlike him and yet it was true. He, the Nightmare King, had once been an innocent child. A child who had loved life and his family, his parents.

What had happened to bring him to this point? What had happened to his family? What? Why was he now feared and hated by everyone? How had this happened to him? He could not yet remember but even though his family was either gone for good or still somewhere out there in the vastness of space, he was not alone.

He wrapped his arm a bit more tightly round the child beside him and smiled. "I don't remember yet... not her... but I know that I will... I _will!"_

Melissa nodded confidently but said nothing. She didn't move much and just sat there enjoying the moment. The stars grew brighter above them and sounds from below were more soothing than fearsome. Exotic night birds were calling to each other and crickets and other small critters were chirping up a symphony. Fireflies and other glowing insects made the valley below sparkle.

Every now and then, they could hear the growl of a predator but they both knew that they were safe and in spite of the beauty below, they were both looking up at the stars.

All of a sudden Melissa sat up straight and pointed. "Look, a shooting star!"

And this time, Pitch saw it too. He smiled. "Did you make a wish?"

"No, did you?"

He shook his head.

"Why not?" the girl wondered.

"Didn't think of it... did you?"

"Mh hm" she shook her head as well.

"Why not?"

"I have nothing to wish for" she said and smiled up at the sparkling sky and the Nightmare King, quite taken aback by her childish frankness could only smile as well. They sat in silence for a while longer until an odd sound disrupted the peace they had felt within them. It was no animal on the hunt but a sound Pitch had become familiar with during the past weeks. He snickered at it.

"Sure you have nothing to wish for? Not even dinner?" he stated and her small shoulder a slightly teasing pat.

"To be honest... " she started and touched her rumbling stomach, but he shushed her with a gesture.

"Let's go back to the caves" he suggested. "I will go and find you something to eat."

"Can... could I come with you?" she asked timidly. She really wanted to see where he stole food for her.

"Too risky" he said however, shaking his head. "Even with me, you are only human. People might see you, we might get separated. I can't take that risk. Please..."

"I understand" she said quickly and grasped his good left arm, before he could even take a breath. "It's alright. Let's just go home."

 _Home?_

Somehow hearing her call his caves home gave him the a very odd but nevertheless pleasant feeling, but only for a moment before doubts crept into his mind. Would there really be no more fearlings around? According to what the Elephant had told him, they were gone but could he really be sure? The idea of leaving the girl behind there didn't sit well with him at all. And the image of them inside her cage, feeding on her worst fears, was still burned into his mind.

"What's the matter?" Melissa wondered. "Is something wrong?"

He pulled a grimace and shrugged. "Maybe we should stay somewhere else for a little while. Just until we can be sure that there are really no more of those shadows lurking around, waiting for us."

The mere mention of fearlings sent a shiver down the girl's spine but she could not forget the latest event in Punjam Hy Loo. There had been so many of them, thousands by her estimation. Could there really be any more of them? She rubbed her arms to shake off the goosebumps.

"They might be hiding in that dark realm of theirs" said Pitch like an echo of her own thoughts. "I can't take you back there, let alone leave you there unattended. Not until I am sure that they are really gone for good."

The girl understood that he was really more worried for her than for himself and it made her little heart feel quite warm. Her mind however, was alreaday a step ahead.

"But Pitch" she mumbled and was nervously chewing on her lower lip. "There are still two or three of those stardust-bombs inside my cage. Don't you think we should retrieve them first? And perhaps take the stuff and tools to make more? Just in case?"

"Good thinking" he had to agree. Pitch had already come to appreciate the way her mind worked but it still baffled him at times. He pondered for a few moments, visibly wrestling with himself until he finally nodded. "Alright. Home first and then we will get out of there and someplace where they will be less likely to find us soon" he nodded and pulled her close to him. "Hold on. We'll make a dash for the cage and get your bombs first. Then we will see what else we can take along. Perhaps we should not spend too much time in one place. Not with everyone after us - or rather after me. The fearlings, the Guardians... my deranged daughter..."

Melissa could hardly restrain herself. She so wanted to tell him about Emily Jane and that she was no threat now to either of them. And the Guardians? If they had really been there, they would know by now what Pitch had been doing in the flying Elephant's temple. The Man in the Moon himself had taken their side against the fearlings. But Pitch had been out cold and knew nothing of this. To him it was the two of them against the rest of the world.

And she couldn't tell him. At least not about his daughter, she had given her word! But she would have to tell him about the unexpected help from the Man in the Moon as soon as possible. If he was with them, then so were the Guardians. Liz smiled at her own thoughts. They would still be her friends. Katherine would still be her friend and perhaps one day they would all be a big happy family. Them, Pitch and her… and even Mother Nature. It was a dream... such a wonderful dream. But was it even possible?

She let out a small laugh as Pitch pulled her into the realm of eternal darkness. She was a child of Santoff Claussen for sure. Nothing was impossible! All she had to do was believe!

A moment later they were back in the caves and to their relief not a single shadow was moving out of place. Most of the braziers however had gone out in their absence. But Pitch didn't hesitate. He didn't trust the peace and silence of the place even for an instant.

He pushed his ward forward, towards the cage. "Go!"

Melissa didn't need more prompting, she knew the plan and with one hand on the hilt of her dagger, she ran as fast as she could for her old prison with the Nightmare King right on her heels. He was not willing to take any risks and neither was she.

She dove head over heels in through the open door, lost her balance and landed on all fours just beside her wonderful new bed.

 _Aww Moon, how I will miss this comfortable stuff..._

But there was no time to dwell on this. She scrambled across the cold metal floor and for a small pouch just at the head end of her bed. She knew the bombs were inside and she just grabbed the whole thing.

"Got them!" she gasped and looked back over her shoulder. "Is the coast still clear?"

Pitch had stumbled into the cage right after her and had tried to reach out to stop her from falling but had not reacted quickly enough. The girl seemed to be just fine though and he looked around warily.

Everything was still quiet and the only shadows were the natural ones cast by the last flickering flames.

"All clear" he sighed and for a moment he wondered where they would go from here. Everything was different now. He used to command an army of fearlings. Now without them beside him - if they had ever even been there - what would he do? How could he possibly defend himself against the Guardians, let alone get rid of them?

"Then let's see what else we might need!" Melissa suggested and rushed past him. On her way she tossed him one of the light-bombs with a smile. Pitch caught it almost absently but then forced himself back to the present.

Right... she was right... he had to focus. He could figure it out later. They had to get someplace safe, a place where he could leave her alone for a bit without being afraid that someone might take her away from him.

 _Afraid? I am the Nightmare King! I am not afraid of anyth... oh why am I lying to myself?_

He looked around and could no longer see the girl. Instantly he grew tense with worry and he forgot what he had just been thinking about.

"Liz! Wait!"

He caught up with her in the dimly lit workshop where she was already stuffing a few more of the empty shells into the pockets of her dress. He nodded to himself and made a dash for the jar. Their supply of that stardust-phosphor mixture was running low already. There was perhaps enough left for four or five bombs but it was worth taking.

The girl was rummaging through his shelves of supplies but Pitch stopped himself and started thinking hard. They would have to find a place to hide. One that was more secluded, one that the fearlings wouldn't think he would seek shelter in.

He had small sanctuaries all around the globe but he had never spent time in any of them. He had only memorized the Locations and in some of them he had left a few necessities. But they would need a place to rest and it had to be a save one, one close to the surface. The girl was only human after all. She needed food and water. And more than that. She needed sunlight. So where was he going to take her?

While he pondered about this, he went into his private chamber to strip his bed of the top layers and brought them back to the workbench. The girl watched him curiously as he spread one of them across the table and placed the others on top along with a few small tools and spare parts.

Melissa realized that he was fashioning some sort of bag and that gave her an idea. "Have you seen the needle and yarn?" she asked, looking around in search for the tiny items.

"You plan on sewing something?" the Nightmare King wondered hopefully. He still could not deny that he liked the idea of seeing her dressed similar to himself.

She nodded but didn't tell him her plan. "It looks like we will be on the road for a while" was all she said.

Within a minute, Pitch had found what she had asked for and stowed it securely inside the simple sack.

"Ready?" he asked.

"When you are."

And he was. He had made up his mind to take her to a well hidden cave in Australia. It was rather deep underground but it would do for a few days. Besides, the area outside was not too different from the small valley outside his caverns here. It had trees and bushes, lots of grass and a small lake not far away. Also there was not a single human village anywhere close by except for a tiny settlement of the local natives.

It wasn't perfect but it would serve the purpose. The only thing that worried him slightly were the pests. The first time he had been there – months ago – he had been careless and a snake had bitten him. He could not die from the creatures poison but he had been downright sick for a week. He had never known such physical pain.

He had never really given much credit to such lowly creatures as snakes or spiders except for the fear they inspired in humans but after this incident, he respected them and had actually done some research to sate his new curiosity. Now he knew that the continent they were heading to was home to the deadliest of them. He would have to teach the girl to be careful out there.

"Let's go" he decided anyway and picked up his rather bulky luggage. They both headed for the shadows and Pitch didn't even have to ask the girl to hold on. She was beside him in an instant and clung to him with all her might.

For a split second he grimaced. The feeling still gave him slight goosebumps – not out of fear but simply because he wasn't used to it – and then the darkness took them.

"It... it's warm!" Melissa gasped when she took a step back to look around. And it _was_ warm compared to the location they had just left. A lot warmer in fact even though the place was quite deep beneath the earth. But it was also very dark. Pitch had left a few of his braziers here too but they weren't lit – and that was a good thing. Because if they had been he would not have seen the soft glow of light in the distance.

"What in the realm of darkness is that?" he growled, expecting trespassers, human miners perhaps.

"What?" Liz wondered silently but then she saw it too. There was a strange glow like golden sunlight that seemed to seep in from somewhere ahead. The longer she looked, the more she could see of her surroundings. The place was nothing like the one they had just left. It was bare and looked completely uninhabited except for one of those dark braziers standing around and a heap of fürs on the ground.

 _He doesn't even have a bed here!_

But none of this was important right now. Pitch seemed to think that this bit of light didn't belong here and she let go of his guiding hand to run ahead and investigate. She knew now that her strange friend could bear the light of the moon and even the sun to some extend but how could there be sunlight down here? It had to be something different and maybe dangerous for him.

"Liz!" the Nightmare King hissed from behind her but for once she ignored him. She would find out what this was and then report back to him. Only when he called her name more loudly did she turn around, knowing that he could see her quite well.

"I'll take a look … stay away from the light!" she told him. Pitch froze in place.

"Since when do I take orders from a scrawny little brat?" he thought but then he realized that this was only his pride kicking in. He shook his head. "Let her make the discovery. It's probably nothing anyway. Maybe the natives have found the place and lit a torch somewhere... and they won't be much trouble once they come face to face with me."

Melissa had crept on carefully and more slowly as she approached the streaks of light that lit up the earthy ground.

 _No rocks... at least not beneath my feet... this place smells different too... so full of life and growing things... Just where in the world are we?_

Then however she found the source of the light and all of these thoughts were forgotten. There were two small crags in the wall, barely a hand wide. And the golden light was flooding in from them.

 _Is that outside? No it can't be. I feel like I am really deep under ground. How can there be that kind of light. It's like the sun... even warmer..._

The girl approached those crags carefully but could barely contain her curiosity. A bit of a breeze came through them and the air smelled like spring.

 _Another one of Emily Jane's places?_

Melissa wondered before she glanced through one of the gaps. It sure did look like one. There was lush green grass, greener that any she had ever seen. There were spring flowers everywhere, a few bushes, strangely shaped rocks and then a river that sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow. The girl's eyes had never grown so wide and round with amazement but then, just there across the river she could see the master of this domain.

He was crouching low, planting something, tending to his garden with his back to her. Melissa recognized him instantly. A small yelp nearly escaped her mouth but she quickly covered it with her right hand and inched away from the crag carefully, pressing her back again the wall.

The Nightmare King was just a few steps behind her but when he felt the fear that was pouring off of her in waves, he froze again on the spot.

"What is it?" he whispered hoarsely and the girl instantly pressed a finger to her lips.

 _Keep silent!_

"Bunnymund" she breathed then and her voice was barely audible. But she could tell that Pitch had heard her or had at least red her lips. He hesitated with a look of shock on his face. His eyes grew as wide as her's and even from the distance, the girl could see that bit of pale gold around his normally dark irises.

She tiptoed back to him and looked up at his face pleadingly.

"The Pooka? Where? What is he doing here?" Pitch whispered and actually lowered himself into a crouch to look straight into his young friends face.

Melissa took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She knew the Guardians were not the one's they had to fear just now – but Pitch didn't know that yet. She had to tell him... soon.

"Behind the wall... there are two small crags in it. And it looks like he is... gardening."

"Gardening?" Pitch nearly burst out in total disbelief and only just managed to keep his voice down. "I have to see that."

He slipped past her and approached the sources of light himself.

"Won't that light hurt you?" the girl hissed anxiously but the Nightmare King didn't really care. What the heck was that Pooka doing down here?

Melissa realized that there was no way of stopping him without making noise. But she was calmer now. Even if Bunnymund discovered them, he would harm neither her nor Pitch – not with the Man in the Moon watching their backs. So she followed him back to the crags and was a bit surprised when the Nightmare King endured the light without much of a reaction. He simply rubbed his eyes once and then peered into the magnificent garden behind the wall of earth.

The girl sneaked up to the other one and looked as well.

Bunnymund didn't notice the two peeping toms. He was busy building his warren and make it look a bit more like Mother Nature's secret garden. The place had inspired him and now he was hard at work to live up to his imagination. He planted more flowers, which grew out of the seeds and bulbs within minutes and then burst into bloom while he was already working on more.

He had a bunch of his egg soldiers around him but they were no longer armed for battle. Instead they were wielding tiny spades and rakes and were loosening up the fertile soil for him. Two of the much larger ones sat on a hill nearby surveilling the area. They were carved out of rock, like statues and they were huge.

The Nightmare King gaped at the scene but then was down on his knees in an instant trying to catch his breath. He found Melissa crouching down next to him but to his surprise, she was smiling.

"It's beautiful, don't you think? Almost like Shangri-La!" she breathed excitedly.

"Shangri-La" Pitch nearly went rigid at the mere mention of the word. "What do you know about this place?"

The girl bit her tongue but then shrugged, trying hard to keep the smile up. "Nothing. I know the legends however. And I have a hunch that if this place might actually be real... we've been there an hour ago."

He nodded. "Yes, Liz. That was Shangri-La. But don't you ever tell a soul about it."

"I'd never! I promise" she whispered and placed a hand over her heart. "On my soul!"

Once again Pitch went rigid, every muscle in his body tensed. But not out of fear to be discovered. He grasped the lump beneath his robes – the silver locket - and fell back against the thick wall of earth and rock gasping for breath.

Melissa was fairly alarmed and reached out for him. Pitch never noticed any of this as a vision invaded his mind. A little girl much like Liz stood before him with pleading eyes. He recognized her... she was his... his little girl. "Daddy, please promise that you will come back!"

Her voice was such a sweet echo in his mind but he knew he had to go, that he had to leave her for a bit. He would be back though. He would always come back to his family ...

"On my soul" Pitch's dark lips whispered as Melissa shook him back to his senses.

"Pitch! Pitch! What is wrong? Please... what is happening?" she did not dare to raise her voice but the King of Nightmares already shook himself out of it. His vision focused and he became aware once again of his surroundings.

"Liz... " he breathed and could only smile at her concerned face. "It's okay. Just a memory coming back. I think you triggered it."

"I did?" she gasped in wonder and sudden delight. "What was it? Do you remember her name yet?"

Pitch shook his head but looked quite elated. "No... not yet. But I saw her... as clearly as I see you now. I had to leave but I promised her that I would come back."

"Where did you have to go? Sounds like it had to be some place dangerous... otherwise why would she…"

There was a rumbling sound from behind the wall through which the light of Bunnymunds warren was shining in, distracting them both.

"We should leave" Pitch breathed quickly but the girl shook her head.

"Let's just create some distance" she whispered. "As long as he doesn't know... this place might be safer that any other. The Guardians would never look for us here, don't you think?"

The Nightmare King had to admit that the child had a point. They would never expect them anywhere that close to them. But just at the moment Melissa's stomach let out another demanding rumble that made him grin.

"Alright, but we have to keep our distance. He pushed himself back to his feet and risked another glance through the crag. He heard voices now too.

"So sorry Bunnymund. Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

Melissa was on her feet in an instant. "Tall William!" she whispered with a wide smile.

"Don't worry about it, Will" Bunnymund told the boy, brushing earth and pebbles from his shoulders. "It was only a small cave in and I'll use that earth to make another lovely hill of grass and flowers."

"Is that the boy's name?" Pitch's voice was very close to her ear but she simply nodded and pulled a face.

"Yes, there's his father... they call him old William and all of his sons share his name. I'm actually not sure anymore how many Williams there are but it goes down to William the absolutely youngest... I find that really odd."

Pitch simply looked down at her with a smirk. "Humans are odd" he agreed then. "Come now. We will stay here for the night and take our chances. But away from the light... and I will not light the braziers. They might see."

The girl nodded and crawled away from the crags and deeper into the darker part of the cave.

"I'll go and find you some food. Make yourself comfortable" Pitch advised before he took to the shadows once again.

Melissa nodded but he was already gone. She crawled back to the makeshift bag the Nightmare King had brought along and pulled it towards the pile of furs she had noticed before. She really wanted to get started on her new project but there was no way she could do that here. It was way too dark, so she let herself fall onto the soft pile and just tried to relax.

Her strange friend however didn't take long and he was back with a bowl of hot stew and a spoon within mere minutes.

She thanked him and watched him getting comfortable on the furs next to her. It made her wonder where she was supposed to sleep. It didn't matter much, she had no time to sleep now anyway. She had to tell him about what happened in Punjam Hy Loo. And without beating around the bush, she came straight to the point.

"When we were in the Elephant's temple, a minute after he unlocked your memories... something happened" she started and noticed the Nightmare King looking up at her with curiosity. He had obvioulsly been waiting for this.

"The fearlings attacked before we knew it and there were so many... so many."

Melissa told him everything. How she had tried to wake him and given up on that. How she had decided to make herself the target by stepping into that spotlight and then about the Man in the Moon and the power he had lent her, the light that had been rushing straight through her veins, giving her this amazing power and healing her voice.

Pitch jolted straight up from the furs, as if something had bitten him and stared at her wide eyed and with an odd mixture of plain terror, confusion and incredulous amusement on his face. He was like a moment away from bursting with insane laughter. But he simply shook his head, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"Lunar? Impossible... why would he...?"

Melissa was still chewing on a piece of meat she had found in the stew and could only shrug. Then she swallowed and heaved her shoulders again. "I talked to him once... at that Lunar Lamadary. I went there with the people of Santoff Claussen and we had an audience with him. Not in person, but through some kind of mirror. While everyone was talking he addressed me and he said that I should follow my heart and that's what I am doing, for good or ill. But since he helped me destroy the fearlings... it doesn't seem like he wants you dead, Pitch. I think he wants you to remember who you really are. And this would mean that for once he and you are on the same side."

"Impossible!" he nearly hollered, only just restraining his voice, aware of the situation he was in. That loathsome Pooka was right next door.

"If there is one thing that I do remember" he half whispered, half growled "It's that I tried to kill him... the little Lunanoff Prince! He's the last person who would ever take my side!" he ranted on silently but Melissa could see the shadow in his eyes growing darker. "I wanted to turn him in to my darkling prince until that glowing little fiend showed up and… " his voice broke short and his face distorted in a fearsome mix of pain and silent rage. "Why did I even try? Why did I... I don't know it anymore... I wanted to turn Katherine too and then you, Liz... Liz... why would I do this? I can't remember..."

Without wanting to, Pitch had triggered yet another memory and it flooded his mind without mercy. And this one was much darker than the others he had had so far. He remembered trying to kill the Lunanoff's, his attack on the moon clipper. He had hunted them down, he had wanted to make the baby prince his own. He had known the Lunanoffs all his life, they had been friends! But at that moment, he had only wanted them to know the pain of loosing their only child - his own pain. And he also remembered Nightlight. That glowing spectral boy who had shown up out of nowhere and had impaled him with that loathsome dagger. The explosion had been so bright, it nearly burned his mind even now. But then they had crashed here on this planet, he had been slammed into that mountain, melting into it with that boy on his chest and then that dagger had been driven into his heart, petrifying him, cursing him to remain lifeless and almost fossilized for what seemed like an eternity.

Melissa saw the sudden change in him and dropped her bowl, forgetting her dinner. She flew to him, grabbing on to his shoulders and chest, shaking him yet again.

"Pitch! Snap out of it!" she hissed not forgetting that they were so very close to Bunnymund. "Don't go there, please! I know you did terrible things but hat wasn't really you. Right? It was the fearlings controlling you! They are gone now! Come on Pitch, you have to come back to me and make things right again! I know you can! I believe in you!"

 _I believe in you... I believe in you … I believe in you…_

The girl's voice echoed through that bit of a soul he still had and he forced the strange memory away.

 _Liz... what am I doing? I have to take care of her... I can't allow myself to... I have a responsibility!_

He sat up straight, jolting out of the darkness like an arrow from a bow. His eyes flew open and an instant later Melissa felt his arms around her. It was not a hug though. She would have recognized a hug. Pitch was holding on to her as if she was an anchor, he was holding on for dear life.

For a moment she stiffened but then it dawned on her that this was exactly what she had signed up for when the Man in the Moon had told her to follow her heart. She had been the one who had suggested that trip to the flying Elephant's temple in the first place. Now Pitch's memories were coming back the good ones as well as the bad ones and she was responsible for what was happening to him.

The way he was holding on to her now, as if she was the only thing that rooted him to the here and now frightened her quite a bit. But then she took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him too, holding him close with all the strength she could muster.

"You can do it, Pitch! Get a grip on yourself! Come back to me! I know you can and I need you too!"

The Nightmare King shuddered for a second but he could feel her embrace.

 _She needs me … Liz... I'm responsible for her._..

He sat up straight again and pushed her away, gently though and only to take a good look at her and then he sighed in relief. "Sorry kid... just another memory... a bad one this time."

"Obviously" the girl smiled after a few seconds of equally heart felt relief. "But I'll always be here to pull you out of it, promise."

She had backed away as soon as she had felt him push against her and now was quite content that he was himself again - as much as he could be at that point. He seemed alright and she picked up the bowl she had dropped. The remaining bits of food were luke warm by now but she didn't mind.

"So where are we anyway?" she asked, giving way to her own curiosity as much as hoping to distract him from whatever he had just remembered.

"Australia" Pitch told her as nonchalantly as if they were in his back yard.

"Aus... what?" she mumbled but then a memory came to her too. _"Bunnymund actually made the Himalayas, and then he created Australia!"_ Fog's voice rang through her mind. But that bit of information was all she knew about the place. "Where is that country?"

The Nightmare King was back in the real world by now and this comment did the rest to shake off the lingering darkness in his mind. It just baffled him too much.

"It is not a country, Liz. It's a continent!"

The last bit's of Melissa's dinner nearly fell out of her face as it crunched up into a frown.

"You are making fun of me" she spat. "There are only four continents! Asia, Europe, Africa and America." She counted them down on her fingertips. "I've learned my geography!"

The Nightmare King chuckled and shook his head, remembering that Melissa was simply a peasant child. She really had no idea.

"Who taught you?"

"My father!" the girl huffed but she was not so sure about anything anymore. She knew where she came from and all about hunting but she had doubts. Suddenly the world seemed a lot bigger to her than it used to.

"Then maybe he was not up to speed" Pitch grinned. He just loved to be right, but he didn't want to humiliate his ward. "I will show you the world as it really is some day. But for now, let me tell you what this little continent is like."

They had both settled down onto the furs and Pitch told her all about the place, at least everything he knew and Melissa began to understand that it was quite unique. There were creatures and plants that were found nowhere else in the world and soon the girl was thoroughly absorbed and fascinated. She didn't even notice that she was having a class. Pitch was teaching her about Australia and everything sounded worth listening too. She asked questions every now and then about marsupials and the natives, the so called Aborigines and he answered them all to his best knowledge.

Melissa's curiosity pleased the Nightmare King immensely and he did his best to sate her thirst for knowledge. The girl herself got ever more excited and could hardly wait to see the surface for herself. Apart from that, she was quite please with herself too, because she had so successfully distracted Pitch from his dark memories.

He had made himself comfortable on the pile of furs and the girl had been sitting cross-legged in front of him. But as she slowly grew weary she crawled up to him and without asking permission, seh snuggled up to him, using the pit beneath his shoulder as a pillow.

Pitch didn't stop her. He didn't push her away or ask her to find her own spot to sleep. Instead he made a bit more space for her and pulled her closer. Melissa had never felt so comfortable and safe since her time out in the wilds with her father. He had pulled her in like this sometimes... on stormy nights when thunder and lightning had scared her or when he had a rather frightening story to tell her before bedtime.

And the king of nightmares was telling her fearsome stories as well. He told her about the snake that had bitten him and about all the nasty and dangerous creatures that roamed this wild land. But he also told her about the rest of the wildlife, since Melissa seemed so incredibly interested. And so she heard about Kangaroos, Wallabies, Koalas and the nearly extinct Tasmanian Tiger.

Hours passed by like this and Melissa didn't mind the dark or Bunnymund, who was at times not further than a few hops away from them inside his ever increasing warren and had no idea that he had such close neighbors.

But then bedtime came, at least to Melissa and she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Maybe you can tell me more about those Aborigine's dream world tomorrow" the girl sighed finally. "For now, I am so ready to visit my own."

The Nightmare King grinned. "You've got a jet lag!"

"A what?"

"I'll explain it some day... come here" he pulled her closer. "Let's get some sleep."

They did not get to rest very long when the sound of rumbling tumbling rock and earth startled them awake.

"Earthquake!" the surprised girl yelped and was on her feet even before Pitch. She stood alert, expecting more noise and when it came, she clasped both hands over her mouth.


	20. Chapter 20

"Wow! Bunnymund! Check this out! It looks like there is an entire cave system behind here!" It was the voice of Tall William and it sounded so very close, just around the bend. Light was pouring in from the place, a lot more than before. She could actually see the boy's shadow on the ground. Another one with prominent long ears came hopping up from behind him.

"Nice work, Will! This might actually come in handy" said the Pooka and Melissa's teeth began to clatter. She was not really afraid of him, he was her friend after all or at least he used to be. But she did not want to imagine what would happen if he found them here.

She had no time to dwell on this disturbing idea and she nearly let out another low scream when a hand grabbed her arm. But it was only Pitch pulling her away. He had their luggage in the other hand was was dragging her and the bag deeper into the darkness.

"Did you hear something?" they heard the giant bunny mutter and Pitch instantly stopped moving. And as soon as he did, the girl clung to him tightly without him having to say a word and then she felt the now familiar sensation of weightlessness and disorientation.

A moment later she found herself in a yet another cavern but it was nowhere as dark as the places she had last seen. Veins of quartz or other slightly translucent minerals ran through the ceiling and gave the whole place a slight glow.

"Wo-how" she breathed in total awe, her fear forgotten. "Where are we?"

"Japan" Pitch said flatly but then heaved a deep sigh. "That was close... way too close. This one here is not really my first choice to take you but it was the closest one I could think of just now."

Melissa nodded. Perhaps it was a bit too bright for him and it was pretty small and a bit damp too. Just around the next bend she could see the glimmer of daylight. They were very close to the world outside. The air was much fresher though and it was also...

"Brrr.. it's freezing here."

The Nightmare King nodded. She was right. It was cold, specially compared to the hot climate they had just fled from.

"Do you think it is safe to build a fire?" she asked timidly, not quite sure if he would be able to bear the light of normal flames.

"That would be a good idea actually" he admitted with a smile. The girl was a bit surprised but he explained quickly. "This is one of the few caves I know, that has something like a natural ventilation system. The smoke can get out through tiny pores and fissures in the rock, that however also makes it a not so convenient place when it is raining."

He pointed up and then to a spot not far away on the ground. There too was a rather large pile of furs and even a few more dark rags that looked very much like the material their beds were made off. And right next to it were the cold remains of what had once been a small campfire. Melissa understood now what he meant. This way they would not expose themselves to any poisonous gases or fumes and since he said nothing about it, he obviously didn't mind the firelight.

"We will need wood" the girl realized.

"Yes, and that's where you come in. It's day out there... but you will find enough dead wood lying around and it is quite safe too. Humans can't get up here unless they have learned how to fly."

"You want me to go outside and collect it" the girl gasped. She could hardly believe her good fortune. She so wanted to see what it looked like out there.

"Just don't get to close to the edge. If you slip there and fall, I won't be able to come and help you."

"I'm on it" she beamed and dashed off without giving him an opportunity to change his mind. She was around the bend in an instant but then noticed that she would have to do a bit of good old climbing to get out into the sunlight. It looked so bright and got even brighter the closer she got until is was almost blinding. And then when she finally emerged from the cave she gasped in wonder and delight at the snow covered landscape before her eyes.

She was high up on a mountain and could see other, even higher snowy peaks not far away. The area around her was not bare though. There were low, tangled trees and bushes. Some of them were in bloom in spite of the snow. A large raven-like bird cawed down at her before he pushed himself off the rocky cliffs above the cave's maw and took to the air. This place was beautiful and wild and like nothing she had ever seen.

She couldn't have imagined it in her wildest dreams. It was nothing like the garden of Mother Nature, it was much smaller and more humble but lovely in it's own way.

Melissa would have stood there in the small clearing for hours just looking if it hadn't been so cold. And then there was the task Pitch had given her. Firewood, she had too search for pieces of dead wood, but with the snow reaching up above her ankles, it was not as easy as she had thought. She started walking and looking and soon found a few old branches sticking out from the icy whiteness. Most of them were easy to pull out and carry but some were too big and heavy and she left them alone.

Then she noticed the edge Pitch had mentioned and she realized that they were not actually on top, but on the side of the mountain. This place was carved right out of the giant rock's shoulder and right there, a few steps away was a deep chasm. It did look steep and remembering the warning, she did not step any closer but concentrated on her task.

Soon she ran back to the cave with her first load and dumped it there before she followed her own footsteps back and continued exploring. She had been so sleepy before but now, in this place and with the fresh, crisp air and the sun shining on the sparkling snow, she was wide awake with awe and excitement.

There was more wood. Melissa trudged from spot to spot, picking up the dark pieces and then she noticed the tracks in the snow. There were animals up here but she was not quite sure what kind.

 _Pitch wouldn't have let me out here alone if there were predators about... would he?_

Liz decided to follow them and investigate. They looked fresh too. After a few more steps she became aware of an odd bubbling sound and than the still familiar chatter of monkeys. Images of the battle in Punjam Hy Loo flooded into her mind but she pushed them away with determination. Instead she pressed forward more stealthily.

After passing a few more shrubs and bushes she came upon a sight that made her yaw drop. She was facing a high wall of rock and just there at the bottom were pools of steaming water.

 _Steaming... that water is hot!_

She had seen hot springs before in Siberia, but none that looked like this. And what startled her most was the fact that a band of five or six monkeys were enjoying a bath there. Some of them were even swimming and the way they were chattering to each other made her think that they were actually having fun. She grinned and dropped her guard. The girl stepped into their view but they merely looked at her curiously, cocking their heads as she approached. They showed no sign of fear.

But when Melissa came closer still, the monkeys skittered away. They did not run but kept their distance watching her with curious orange eyes. She noticed that they had very red faces and also very red butts. They looked pretty funny to her but not dangerous at all.

"Hello there" she said and carefully placed her load at her feet before reaching out to touch the water. It smelled a bit of sulfur. When she dipped her hand into it she nearly flinched but only for a moment. It was very warm and to her cold hands it felt almost scalding. She gazed at the water with longing.

 _But Pitch is waiting for me. We have to get that wood dry and start a fire somehow..._

The Nightmare King had been tremendously busy already. Melissa didn't know it but he had a small pile of dry wood stored inside the cave. If they would stay here for a while they would need more however. He already knew what it looked like outside and he wanted her to explore it on her own, knowing that she would be thrilled. Pitch also knew about the hot springs and he didn't expect her back any time soon. The girl was quite the swimmer and from what he had seen so far she also seemed to like it a lot.

So when she came stumbling down into the cave with an arm full of wood and a glow on her face that he had not seen there before, he was actually quite surprised.

"Pitch!" she gasped and dropped the wood right at his feet. "This place is amazing! There's a hot spring! And there are monkeys... nice ones as far as I can tell and they are bathing in it!"

The words came bubbling out of her and her dark blue eyes were sparkling like the night sky just after sunset.

"I've never seen anything alike!" she gasped quite out of breath with excitement and joy but then she became aware of the small fire that was already burning and her face fell. "We already had wood? Why didn't you... why did you... "

He grinned down at her and then reached out to pat her shoulder. "Yes, I have kept a little stack of wood in here and I wanted to surprise you. To be honest, I thought you wouldn't be back so soon."

"But..." she didn't get him at all. "I could have helped you. What is that contraption there?"

Pitch had arranged a few rocks and heavy branches around the campfire and had indeed built something that she didn't quite understand.

"You _did_ help, a lot. That's quite a load you brought. But the wood here is usually wet and needs to dry. I found that hanging it above a fire does that quite quickly. And if we want to stay here for a night or two we will need more than what I have available."

Now Melissa understood. What she had been gathering would be for later. They would dry it above the already burning fire, using what he had set up there and she nodded her agreement.

"You tired?" Pitch asked, already knowing that she was not.

"Not even a bit" she smiled.

"So... if you want to run along and explore a bit or take a bath with those macaques... "

"Macaques?" she frowned.

"The local primates. Don't worry about them, they won't harm you. They've never seen humans before and they are quite agreeable. Those hot springs out there can do quite a wonder when you are tense or weary. Why don't you go and take a bath?"

The girl frowned up at him. This was so unlike the Nightmare King. Something had to be up. Was he sick of her? Would he take to the shadows and leave her as soon as she was out of sight? Or was he up to something else that she was not supposed to know about? Did he have a new plan to conquer the Guardians and needed her out of the way to make preparations?

 _That's stupid! He wouldn't attack them again so soon! Not after what happened on the moon..._

Pitch wondered about that suspicious look on her face and finally his shoulders slumped. "Alright, Liz. If you don't want to it's fine with me. I just thought you deserve a bit of fun and time to yourself. I know this place is save so I don't see why you shouldn't. Besides, you are human. You need the sunlight if you don't want to get sick. In fact I thought you would do so without me suggesting it. I was planning on having this place quite homey and warm by the time you came back..."

The girl stared, swallowed down the lump in her throat and stared some more. "You really mean that?"

He simply nodded.

"You are not going to leave without me?"

"What?" he gasped. "No! Of course not. We just got here. Liz, I really just wanted you have a good time for a change!"

Melissa relaxed a bit and finally found her smile again. "So, I can really go back outside and take a bath in that spring. And you'll still be here when I come back?"

Pitch smiled back at her and handed her one of those black canvas sheets. "I'll be waiting for you. And later, once the sun has set. I think I'll take a bath there myself. Those springs are the main reason I chose this place as a hideout after all."

"Alright then!" the girl grabbed the cloth he was handing her and was just about to run back outside when she thought better. She turned on her heel and flew right at the surprised King of Nightmares and gave him a nearly bone-crushing hug around the waist. "You are the best! Have I ever told you that?"

"Wow!" Pitch gasped but before he could really wrap his mind around it, Liz was already out of sight with her substitute towel. He could only hear the patter of her boots growing more distant.

For a few moments he stood frozen in place but then his face lit up into the widest smile he was capable of.

 _That went rather well..._

Melissa was back at the hot spring where those monkeys, or macaques as Pitch called them, were still having a good time and she was more than ready to join them.

She took off her clothes in the freezing air and placed them on a dry rock nearby. Then she climbed naked over the warm boulders and lowered her feet into the water. The macaques were watching her but she only grinned at them.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked politely before she let herself slip into the steaming pool and heaved a deep sigh of pure contentment. The water wasn't deep and she could sit on the rocks and lean back against them without submerging. She could keep her head well above the surface while she made herself comfortable against the warm rocks at her back.

 _What a perfect spot. It's really relaxing... Pitch was right. This is wonderful! Better that the hot bath I had with Kat in Santoff Claussen..._

The thought triggered the few more memories of the place and she thought about Katherine and Fog and Petter and Sascha... and then about Tall William who was now helping Bunnymund to build some kind of secret garden beneath Australia. They had almost been caught... almost.

 _Good thing Pitch can travel through that dark realm. If it hadn't been for that... I don't think Bunny would have attacked us but Pitch might have. He doesn't trust them, the Guardians but I can't blame him. Not after what happened on the moon._

"The Moon" she sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun was closing in on the western horizon and already the day was waning. The moon would be up in the sky soon.

 _The Man in the Moon believes that me staying with Pitch is the right thing. I am helping him, am I not? But what will he do now? Will he attack them again? Is he already hatching a new plan? No... I don't believe that. He doesn't even have those fearlings now... Even if he wants to, he can't. Not with his memories returning at the most inconvenient moments..._

Hot water splashed into her face and she was ripped out of her thoughts. The monkeys were still there and since she had not moved, they had become bold and were playing... actually playing like children right before her. They were splashing around in the hot water, screeching and chattering in a manner that sounded almost gleeful.

Melissa let out a laugh and splashed some water back at them.

They stopped their game and gazed at her warily but when she gave them another splash of water the chattering was back on and Melissa was in on their game. She didn't know the rules, nor did she understand them in the slightest but she watched them clinging to one another, climbing on each others backs but never allowing the downed one to drown.

Then suddenly one of them was on her shoulder, pulling at her long, loose hair. It didn't really hurt but she let out a bit of a yelp. Then she laughed right out. Her hand was up and she was touching the creatures soft fur. She splashed more water at him, and herself in the turn. The macaque squealed and hopped back into the water and then, all of a sudden they all left.

Melissa realized that they were a family. Their leader, she did not know if it was the father or the mother or just the eldest one gave a sign and they all just dashed away. She watched them climb up the steep rocks and gave them a small wave.

 _Guess their bathing time is over for today... hope I'll see them again..._

She leaned back and relaxed again. The sun was still shining but it was getting late and Pitch was waiting for her.

 _Just a few more minutes..._

She drifted back into a daydream and a few minutes quickly turned into twenty and then thirty. Only when she noticed the first star peeking out did she realize just now long she had been out here. Had she actually fallen asleep?

"Have you fallen asleep in there?" the surprisingly good natured voice of the Nightmare King startled her out of her thoughts. There he was standing right beside her next to the spring.

"Oww... I'm not sure, Pitch. I might have. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Liz" he told her quite soothingly. "But unless you want to see me undress and get in there with you, you might want to make a decision."

The girl's eyes grew wide and then she looked up at the sky. The stars were out... the sun was gone and she felt so drowsy and ready to fall asleep.

She clasped her hands and her skin was all wrinkly from the hot water. It really was time for her to get out of her and back into the caves.

"Okay, okay... I'm out of here. But you'll have to turn around and let me get dressed."

The Nightmare King chuckled gleefully but then did as she asked. He moved away and turned his back.

With some effort the girl crawled out of the water and instantly started to shiver in the freezing air. She quickly dried herself with the sheet of dark canvas and then put her clothes back on.

"Okay" she said finally. "Enjoy your bath. I'll see you back in the cave!"

Pitch only smiled and watched her run off. She would be in for a bit of a surprise. But just for now... it would be his turn to get into those hot springs and let those wonderful sweet waters wash away his worries.

When Melissa had slid down over all the rocks and boulders that led to the bottom of the cave she was more than ready for a good night's sleep. She wearily made it down and around the bend when she caught sight of the fire. It was bigger now and the place was actually warm... warm! And that was not all. There were two beds, one on each side of the fire all made of that black canvas.

"Just like home!" she thought with a start and then smiled sleepily. "How did he...?"

 _Aaahwww... never mind... I can ask him later._

She crawled up onto one of them and covered herself with more of the silky black stuff. Melissa had never felt so sleepy and comfortable at the same time.

"He's spoiling me" she thought for a second but then sleep overwhelmed her and she knew nothing more for a long time.

When Pitch returned to the cave about an hour later he felt just as smooth and relaxed and ready for a few hours of shut eye. But the sight of the girl sleeping soundly on her bed made him smile and feel even better. He didn't even know why.

Maybe it was due to the fact that she had gone through all those troubles for his sake but he had felt that he owed her a treat. Now he was just too drowsy to think that much about it. He put a few more logs on their fire and then slipped under his blankets as well.

Both of them slept blissfully with not a single nightmare in sight late into the next day.

When the sun had just crossed that mellow point and it's glow was most golden Melissa awoke. She felt rested and peaceful. She had dreamed sweetly but she could not remember clearly what it had been about, so the strangely disturbing noises that had awoken her caused her to sit up on her bed with little alarm and more curiosity.

She could see Pitch quite clearly just a few steps away behind the now cold fireplace. He was moving too but was still asleep.

"He's dreaming" she thought with a smile but then older memories burst into her thoughts. Images of swarming shadows and terror.

 _He's not having a nightmare again, is he?_

She slipped out of bed and crept up to him to investigate. Pitch was asleep, there was no doubt about it, but he had a strange look on his face, a bit strained perhaps and his brow was furrowed – not with fear but something close to determination. His shoulders twitched a bit and then his face relaxed again, his features actually spread into a smile, a rather proud one.

 _What the heck is he dreaming about?_

Whatever it was, Melissa saw no reason to wake him. It seemed to be quite an adventure and she decided to just take a quick look outside to see what time it was.

She was accomplished enough to read the stars but when she reached the surface, she found bright daylight again. For a moment she was confused. Had she really slept so long and deeply? Apparently so and Pitch too. And then she thought about the fireplace. It had been cold. The fire had died while they had been sleeping. It it stayed that way, the small cave would soon be freezing cold again.

No matter how beautiful it was outside, she climbed back down into the cave where her strange friend was now sleeping soundly again. She found a few small shreds of dry wood and got to work, rubbing them into each other until the friction caused enough heat to produce a spark. She threw some dry shavings into the heat and soon had started the fire anew.

She knelt there feeding it with small bits of dry wood which the flames eagerly consumed before she added larger pieces that Pitch had cut from the wood she had brought in the day before. And when the fire was burning without her help she wished she had something to fry. A few strips of caribou bacon perhaps and some eggs. That would make a wonderful breakfast.

Melissa really was quite hungry but also a bit embarrassed about it. She had however noticed that her dress, the one North had given her was getting bigger around her. Or much rather, she was getting thinner and she could not let this happen. She was skinny enough as it was. She wished she had put up some traps out there...maybe there were rabbits... she wanted to go hunting but had neither a bow nor arrows. And there were certainly no fish inside those hot springs. The only one who could provide her with some breakfast was still snoozing away on that pile of black canvas.

She watched him impatiently for another twenty-something minutes before she made up her mind to wake him if she could.

Liz walked over to his bed with a purpose and shook him. "Hey Pitch! Time to wake up. Come on!"

He stirred and then gave her hand a rather gentle shove. But he only muttered something unintelligible and didn't wake.

Melissa grinned down at him as he snuggled back into his pile of black canvas looking so content and calm.

 _Maybe he's remembering something nice about his past..._

She suddenly felt really bad for even trying. He might be remembering Emily Jane right now and the last thing she wanted was to ruin that for him. She could not possibly get in the way now.

"Alright" she mumbled and slumped back down on her own bed. All she could do was wait and endure and perhaps distract herself with something. That reminded her that they had brought the sewing tools.

This cave was bright enough to work on her new project and since she had no idea how long they would stay here, she thought it was probably a good idea to get started.

A minute later she had a sheet of black canvas spread out before her and was cutting out a few simple shapes. She had no measuring tape or anything here besides the needle and yarn, so she had to improvise a bit. It was nothing difficult though and soon she was crudely stitching the corners together to keep them in place before she started with the real work.

By the time the Nightmare King finally stirred, she was already half done. He pushed himself up on his elbows and blinked a few times as if he was not really sure where he was. Then he noticed the girl and sighed silently.

The girl's smile faded a bit. _Is he … disappointed to see me? But then... he's probably still half asleep._

"Morning Liz" he said finally and sat up straight, stretching and flexing his shoulders.

"Good morning, sleepyhead" she smirked back at him.

Pitch frowned slightly but then noticed that she was working on something. Also the fire looked as if it had been tended to. "How long have you been up?"

"Not sure" she muttered evasively. "A few hours?"

"Hours?" he gasped. "Is it even morning yet?"

At this Melissa burst out laughing but somehow she didn't seem too happy. "It's almost evening again! Or maybe it is already... I think it was afternoon when I woke up."

The Nightmare King rubbed his forehead thoughtfully with his pale right hand, not even noticing it. At some point, he had dropped the habit of hiding it.

 _How could I have slept so long... that's not normal... not natural. Maybe it was the hot springs... or maybe those dreams... those memories..._

It had to be memories! At least the first one and he remembered it clearly. He had been back amongst the stars, raiding every constellation, turning every good dream he could find into a horrible nightmare as he commanded his black galleon across the skies with his crew of loyal fearlings.

 _Loyal? I have to stop kidding myself..._

But this was when he had been at his best. He had been truly unstoppable – the most powerful and feared being in the universe! This was how things should be! Now however those times were only a distant memory. Now whatever he tried seemed doomed to fail. But of course, back then there had been no Guardians, not even one.

 _How odd... if that little prince up there on the moon is able to elect Guardians to defend this world from me, his father should have been able to do just the same..._

Somehow this thought unsettled him slightly. But then he found his old evil grin. Maybe the man had realized that there simply was no one powerful enough to oppose him.

Then however that other strange dream came back to his mind and it too was still completely clear and vivid to him. And even more intense and unsettling.

He had seen the world through the eyes of a boy, a teenager of perhaps fifteen years. And that boy – Pitch could not possibly think of him as himself – had a serious crush on a girl. The Nightmare King had felt every emotion from deepest adoration to perfect embarrassment, and worst of all, he felt it still whenever her beautiful face popped up in his thoughts. This lovely face, those sparkling green eyes, her blushing rosy cheeks when he - no that boy had finally found the courage to ask her out.

Pitch had never felt anything more confusing. There had to be some sort of mistake. This could not possibly be one of _his_ memories. It had to be someone else's. The Elephant had messed up somehow. He tried to distance himself from that strange dream but the pictures kept haunting him.

He – no, that boy and the girl had walked hand in hand across a sunny meadow. The place had had a familiar feeling about it. Pitch was almost sure that he had been there before - in yet another memory. The grass beneath their bare feet had been so soft and the air had been filled with scents that he could still smell even now. She had smiled that lovely, entrancing smile at him and then had pulled him down into the grass.

 _This wasn't me! It can't be! I refuse to believe it! I'm the Nightmare King! I don't do such things... I don't go nuts over a pretty face like that... I never did! It can't be..._

He tried to shake off the tumult inside him when Melissa's voice interrupted him.

"Are you alright?"

He looked up and saw that worried sparkle in her dark eyes. She had dropped her sewing onto her knees and was studying his face attentively.

"It's nothing" he lied. "I just had a weird dream."

"A memory?" she asked more curiously and he shrugged, shook his head but how could he be sure?

"Maybe."

"So..." Liz hesitated for a moment until she decided that it was safe to ask. "Do you remember her?"

A smile crossed his features but only for a second and he had to stop himself from saying "Oh yes I did..." He realized just in time that Liz was not asking about the girl he had seen, but about his daughter.

 _Right... I had a little girl once... but where had she come from? Children don't just grow on trees. She must have had a mother!_

And only now, when he became aware of this did he realize how much like Mother Nature that young girl had looked. The same silky black hair, the green eyes... just the shape of his daughter's face was more like his own.

Suddenly he was not so sure anymore if that dream really had not been one of his memories.

"Pitch?"

"No, Liz. Sorry... but the memory was not about her."

Melissa was still watching him. She could tell that whatever he had experienced was not easy to process.

"You... want talk about it?" she asked carefully in a very low voice.

The Nightmare King shook his head briskly. "Not really, not now... maybe later" _No! No way!.._. _No chance in hell!... Not ever in a million years would I talk to anyone about this!_

Pitch really had to distract himself, and quickly, before he could do or say anything stupid.

"So... what are you making?"

Melissa looked down at her work and held it up carefully. She would have liked to tell him that it would be a surprise but after all of this she had a feeling that he needed some plain and simple clarity.

"I'm trying to sew a rucksack. That bundle there seems a bit bulky and if we ever need to get away quickly again it might be good to have our hands free." She forced a lopsided smile and held it up. It was not quite done yet and the straps were still missing but once again Pitch admired her practical mindset.

"What do you think? Will it be big enough for all that stuff?" the girl wondered and saw him grin for the first time since he woke up.

"We'll see once it's ready" he suggested and then got up from his bed and stretched himself to his full extend taking several deep breaths to brace himself for anything that might come up.

"Are you hungry?" he finally asked and saw the girl sigh just as deeply.

"Starving actually. And since your brought the topic up, can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything, Liz. But let me find you some food first, alright?"

She graced him with a hopeful smile and nodded eagerly. Everything else could wait as long as she had something to put into that empty hole in her stomach.

The Nightmare King moved deeper into the cave until the darkness swallowed him and he was gone.

Left behind like this, Melissa started wondering just what he could have been dreaming about. She had watched his face carefully during the last few minutes and he had not looked very happy at all. She had seen the doubt, the confusion, the embarrassment, the objection. Only after she had asked him about Emily Jane had his expression become calmer, but had still been somewhat blank compared to all those contradicting emotions he had displayed before.

She was awfully curious about that memory but she would have to be patient. If he wanted to tell her about it he would do so when he was ready.

Liz had barely finished the thought when Pitch was back with not one but two steaming bowls.

She looked up at him in surprise. "Are you going to eat too?"

He shook his head and placed both of them before her. "Both yours. You said you are starving and I must admit that you look like it too. You have become way too thin. This is a second helping."

 _He noticed!_

She was slightly startled but also a bit relieved but then she pushed all of those thoughts aside and dropped her work onto the sheets beside her. Then she picked up the first bowl and felt how hot it was. Whatever was inside smelled wonderful and a bit exotic. She took a closer look and her face crunched up in disgust at what she saw.

"What's wrong?" You don't like noodles?"

Melissa sat up straight and stared at him. "What are noodles?"

Her innocent question was tinted with a bit of discomfort and Pitch was once again reminded that that child was not the world-travelling kind. She had never seen those thin strings before.

"They are made of some kind of dough" he explained. "Flour, water... maybe eggs... I've not really paid that much attention. But the people in this country seem to like that stuff a lot."

"Oh" the girl sighed and found her smile again. It came around rather sheepishly. "I thought they were worms."

Pitch stared at her for a moment but then started chuckling in spite of himself while Melissa looked around for the fork or spoon that usually came with the food. But all she could find were two thin wooden sticks.

"Er... Pitch?" She interrupted his mirth and held them out to him with questioning frown.

He started to actually laugh at this display of confusion and helplessness before he calmed down and found it in his heart to instruct her in the art of eating with chopsticks. Not that he had any experience with it but he had at least seen how it was done.

At first Melissa was very clumsy and the noodles kept slipping away but she proved to be a fast learner and she was so incredibly hungry. Only a few minutes later Pitch sat beside her and enjoyed watching as she chopsticked away at her meal. She sucked the noodles and they left wet marks on her cheeks as she did.

"Do people in this country really eat like that?" she wondered between two mouths full.

"They do" he confirmed. "And I must say that I find it rather fascinating. You are doing well though. I'm actually a bit impressed you got the hang of it so quickly."

Liz looked up at him with a strange expression as if she was trying to scowl at him but couldn't because his compliment made her smile.

"Well" she said then. "It was a choice between starving or eating with my hands and that would have been bad manners." Pitch could hear just a hint of sarcasm in her voice and he knew she was holding back. He didn't like it. He wanted her to live up to her best, he wanted her to speak her mind. That after all was one of the things he liked about her.

"How do I get the soup out without a spoon?" she interrupted his thoughts. There was some liquid left inside the bowl.

"Make a guess" he prompted her and Melissa looked from the bowl to his face and back again a few times before she put the sticks aside and lifted the dish to her mouth. But then she hesitated.

"Go on" Pitch nodded with a smile.

"Now _that_ is bad manners" she sighed but did it anyway. It tasted way too good to let even a drop go to waste.

"You are in a strange country here, Liz. I don't know much about it myself, but they seem to have quite an interesting culture, and very different manners when it comes to eating. From what I've heard, they consider eating with a fork disgusting. They believe it is bad taste to shovel food into your mouth with it. This however seems to be just fine."

At first, Melissa could only shake her head in disbelief, but after she had pondered about it for a bit, it began to make some sort of sense. There was no stuffing your face with those sticks for sure. It still seemed strange to the girl but by now anything alien attracted her. She was beginning to feel very curious about the land she was in and as she picked up the second bowl and ate more slowly, savoring the taste, she started to ask questions.

And Pitch was more than willing to tell her whatever he knew about the culture and these people's way of life. Melissa had been fascinated with Australia, specially the small continents fauna but this was even more exciting because it was about the people here and everything he told her was so strange and new.

They stayed in the cave for two more nights and during that time Pitch filled her mind with more information than she could process and her stomach with dishes that were just as strange to her but since her mind was wide open to all the possibilities she did no longer scowl at anything new. Instead she embraced the opportunity to experience new exciting tastes.

In the afternoon and evening they went back to the hot springs. Melissa went first , while the sun was still up and usually stayed there until Pitch came to take her place. The rest of the time was filled with more lessons on reading and writing, where Melissa was actually beginning to make progress. She also learned more about the Japanese culture and beliefs and when they went to bed late in the night, they both slept soundly and undisturbed. Not a single fearling showed up and Pitch had no more strange memories returning to him.

They had both adjusted their sleeping pattern a little. They went to bed later and got up around midday. Thhis way the girl could still enjoy a bit of sunlight every day but it made it impossible for Pitch to go and find her breakfast, unless he would travel half way around the world to wherever it was still dark. So instead he brought extra rations for her. Things that she could either eat cold or heat up over their campfire. He visited several houses every time, so the inhabitants would not notice that food was being nicked from their stores, which of course took him longer. The upside was, that he had more stories to tell his young ward on his return, to which she eagerly listened while she ate.

On the third day Melissa awoke to the odd feeling of icy wetness on her face. The air smelled different and she could hear strange sounds. She sat up and wiped a few drops of water from her face.

And then she realized what was goin on. She had noticed the day before that the snow outside was beginning to melt and now it was raining – no – it was pouring down in torrents. And everywhere heavy drops of water were falling from the ceiling of their cave.

She hurried over to her friend and shook him awake. It didn't take much effort this time.

He almost instantly jumped to life and sat up straight with wide eyes. "What … what is it?" he gasped and the girl was stunned at the tremble in his voice. "Are we under attack?"

Melissa started to chuckle. Pitch must have had a very vivid and weird dream and was not quite awake yet.

"No Pitch" she said trying hard to stop giggling. "It's nothing like that ... but it's raining and you know what you told me about this cave. The water is coming in everywhere!"

That brought him back to the real world quickly enough and he looked around, frowning and wiping moisture off his face and out of his hair. Then he sighed. "Looks like we'll have to move again."

Melissa nodded but then sighed deeply. "Too bad. I liked it here."

She started packing whatever was still lying around into her now finished backpack. The moment she was finished, Pitch took it from her and weighed it ins his hands.

"Awesome job, Liz. Everything fits and it's a lot easier to carry around."

The girl ignored the praise. She was quite excited by now and could hardly wait to leave.

"So, where are we going?"

"Some place warmer" he promised and stepped into the darkest spot inside the caves. He held out a hand and Liz was by his side in an instant, looking forward to learn about a new place.

This new place turned out to be a group of islands scattered close to each other in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Pitch called the one they had made their home for the night Hawaii.

The Nightmare King knew little of this land and could not teach her much, but the food he stole for her here was quite amazing. It was mostly fish and other seafood along with an incredible variety of fruits – some of which she could actually pick herself just outside the tiny cave he had brought her too.

The people that lived here were all natives. They had never seen strangers and Pitch was not quite sure how they had first gotten here at all and when or where they had come from. But as he had promised, it was warm here, almost too warm. Even the rock beneath their feet were hot.

"When I first found this cave it was quite cool" Pitch wondered but didn't worry too much about it.

They stayed there for another two days, but could barely get any sleep. It was just too hot. And then on their second night, just when they were trying to get some rest, the ground began to shake and the earth itself seemed to be moaning. Melissa had never heard anything like it. It was a terrifying sound and she noticed that it was getting hotter very quickly.

"Pitch?"

The Nightmare King had a pretty good idea what was going on. He had found out a few things about this odd mountain earlier that day. He had seen the humans in the valley make preparations but had not believed that they were in immediate danger. Now he knew better.

"We have to go" he decided. "This instant!"

Melissa didn't question him but grabbed their possessions and flew into his arms, ready to flee from whatever was about to happen.

When she felt save again a moment later, she was once again surrounded by darkness and the air was cool. Not chilly but comfortably breathable.

"What _was_ that?" she gasped. "An earthquake?"

"Volcano about to blow" was Pitch's short explanation. He was already distracted by something else.

He had taken her to yet another cave this time on the American continent. He knew the natives thought this place sacred and haunted and never entered it but now he could see dim lights far ahead. He heard voices too.

He pulled Melissa deeper into the shadows.

The girl had not noticed the lights since the Nightmare King's body was blocking them from view but she clearly heard the voices in the dark.

"Not safe" she whispered fearfully. "There are people here!"

"I can see that!" Pitch growled angrily in the back of his throat. This place was sacred to the humans here. Who would dare to invade it like that?

"Liz" he whispered and placed both hands on her shoulders. He bent down to her and looked straight into her face with a very serious expression. "Stay right here. Don't move. I promise I will be back here in a minute, but I have to find out who these people are."

Pitch had his reasons for being upset. He had come in contact with the natives when he had first insprected this cave. It had been the strangest encounter ever for him. They feared him but not in the usual way. It was not terror they had shown but some deep sort of respect for his power. They called him a Manitou, had bowed to him and had named this cave sacred ground, since he had obviously claimed it. No mortals were allowed to trespass here. They actually worshiped him in some weird way and he could not deny that he liked it.

The Nightmare King had to find out who had dared to desecrate the place. He could not deny that this cave was quite special to him.

As he approached the lights and the noises he could hear picks connecting with rock. But he moved forward anyway. And then he saw them. A group of men with pale skin and beards. They seemed quite gleeful. Pitch stood there in plain sight of them and just listened. He learned a lot during those few minutes.

Those men where mining silver and had killed a lot of the Natives in order to get here.

The Nightmare King's silent outrage at this gave him a new kind of determination that he had not known before. It was not vengeance – that he knew plenty. But something deeper. It came right from the deepest part of his soul and it swelled with it.

He had to admit that he was nowhere as powerful now as he had been when the fearlings had been around but Pitch still had a few tricks up his inky sleeve.

He reached deep inside himself, tensing with concentration and somehow he brought the shadows in the cave to life. They were nothing more than just that – shadows. They had no life of their own.

The miners were laughing and talking until one of them looked up and saw the darkness approaching with what looked like clawed fingers on long, skinny arms. He let out a yelp and pointed. The others turned and stared.

The shadows closed in on them slowly and with them came a low, eery laugh... right out of the darkness.

Their heads flew around and they saw the King of Nightmares and to their adrenaline infused minds he seemed more that ten feet tall. A mass of blackness in human shape wielding the largest scythe any of them had ever seen. To them it was Death himself who had descended upon them.

"It's the Manitou!" one of them wailed. "That spirit they warned us about!"

"It's come to to take our souls!" another one of them cried in sheer panic. The man dropped his too, turned on his heel and ran for the exit of the cave as quickly as his legs would carry him. His friends didn't care to stick around any longer and followed suit, screaming in perfect terror.

The success of his performance came as quite a surprise to Pitch. He never thought he would make _such_ an impression but he was very pleased with himself and just as amused. He let out another low evil lough that echoed through the cave pursuing the miners and would surely send that murdering filth running.

When he could no longer hear them, he allowed his shoulders to slump and he actually yawned. All that running from place to place was starting to get to him. He really needed some rest and the girl too.

Liz had crouched down against the rocky wall where Pitch had left her and only listened intently but what she heard made little sense to her. Everything came back blurred with echoes and all she knew that she heard screaming and that horrible laughter. She knew that it was Pitch... but it still unsettled her.

When she saw him approaching only a minute later he wore a rather odd expression. She could tell he was exhausted but there was a smug grin on his face and a glint in his eyes that she had not seen there before. But she knew it well. She had seen it often in the eyes of her friends back in Santoff Claussen.

It made her smile.

"So... you had yourself some fun, didn't you?" she asked quite pertly as the Nightmare King raised a thin eyebrow her way but then his grin became a bit broader still.

"Ooooh yes" he admitted without hesitation. "I had a real blast!" Pitch added with a chuckle and Melissa tried hard to perceive some kind of sarcasm in his voice, yet there was none. He meant it plain and simple.

They actually managed to get some sorely needed rest, but not nearly enough to make up for their lack thereof. Only perhaps two or three hours later they were both startled awake by a sound the girl had never heard in her life but the Nightmare King identified it instantly as a clarion call.

"What... what... was..." the child stuttered bleary-eyed. She was not quite sure whether there was reason to be afraid. Pitch however seemed almost beside himself with anger and frustration.

"Those filthy, stinking, murdering, goat-shagging..." he only just stopped himself and cast the girl apologetic glance. She simply stared up at him in confusion and had clearly not understood a word of what he had just said. What she understood however was that he was angry and that someone was probably on to them again.

"Those miners have called the cavalry on us" he explained flatly and pulled his young friend to her feet.

"The what?" Melissa dared to ask but was already pulled back into the darkness along with the backpack. She heard loud voices of many men and she could see the flicker of torches somewhere ahead.

But before she even had time to feel afraid she was pulled close and knowing what was coming, held on tight.

"Is this some kind of a curse?" the Nightmare King sighed the moment they both stumbled out of the shadows of a half flooded cave. Water was running down the walls around them and from the looks of if there was not one dry spot in sight.

Melissa knew what he meant. No matter where they went to hide, there always seemed to be something that drove them off. She felt exhausted and the lack of sleep was beginning to make her cranky.

"Can't we just go home?" she dared to ask. "I'm sure the fearlings are..."

"Not yet!" Pitch cut her short and there was still anger in his voice. He had however been thinking the same thing, but the mere mention of those demons instantly caused his chest to feel tight. He hated to admit it but he was afraid. He could not take his chances with those monsters, not with Melissa around and even less so without her.

But they could not possibly stay in this dripping place either. Already humidity was seeping in and their feet were getting wet.

"I don't know about you..." he muttered with some more composure but his voice was low and he sounded as tired as Melissa felt. "But I'm pretty fed up with caves for now. Let's try something different."

Liz was all for it but was really not sure what he had in mind. She simply shrugged and was back in the darkest spot even before he was. "Let's go."


	21. Chapter 21

Melissa was not quite sure what to expect, but she still was a bit shocked when she felt wood beneath her feet. She was inside a house - a real house! It was dry and surprisingly warm. A bit of sunlight found it's way in through narrow gaps in the barred windows and she could hear the far off laughter of children and the sound of water splashing. That along with the smells that flooded the place - there had to be a lot of water around. A slow flowing river most likely or a swamp.

The house itself appeared to be empty. Now that Liz had looked around, she had to admit that it was surprisingly large but apparenly long abandoned. The floor and the few remaining bits of broken furniture were covered with a thick layer of dust and spiderwebs hung from the ceiling like large veils of gauze. She could tell that no one had been here in a long time.

"Pitch? Is this really safe?" she asked in a whisper. When there was no immediate reply she looked around and promptly bit her lip. The Nightmare King was sitting on the dusty floor with his back against the wall exactly where they had materialized. And he looked ready to pass out, if he hadn't already.

The girl knelt down beside him and studied him carefully and was just about to reach out when his eyes flew open and he looked straight into her small, worried face.

"It had better be" he smiled with some effort. "Because I don't think I have another one of those escapes in me just now."

Pitch had startet to notice the lack of energy a few days ago but had written it off as an indisposition caused by travelling from warm climates to cold ones and back again. By now he had to admit, that it had to be something more. He did not exactly feel weak but compared to the times before the latest events at the flying elephant's temple, when he was able to go for days without sleep, he tired much more quickly.

He could not make heads or tails of it but he wondered if it had anything to do with his memories coming back. Were those dreams, even though he didn't remember having any lately, perhaps draining him somehow? The little stunt he had pulled with those blasted miners had certainly done a number on him too. But Pitch also wondered what he would have been able to do if he had not been so very tired already.

Right now however, the Nightmare King did not feel much like thinking or even talking about his ailment. All he wanted was to finally get some rest, hoping that it would bring about the desired results.

Melissa squinted her eyes at him until she was finally convinced that he was alright. Then she smiled back at him. "You scared me" she admitted. She could tell he wanted nothing more than sleep and she had to agree with him but...

"Will you at least tell me where we are?"

He closed his eyes however and made himself comfortable as if choosing to ignore her. "New Orleans" he told her then. "Now... sleep!"

Those last two words didn't give Melissa much room for any argument and she was sleepy enough too. She had no idea where this New Orleans was located but wherever they were... it was very warm. It was almost stifling in the dim and dusty room and she was beginning to sweat yet again in her heavy dress.

Melissa unrolled one of the black canvas sheets on the dusty floor. Even if Pitch didn't seem to care, she was in no mood to get herself all messy with dust and cobwebs. Then she pulled off her dress, folded it and used it as a pillow before she simply covered herself with her poncho and went to sleep almost instantly.

This time they actually managed to get some serious rest but their awakening was not more pleasant than the last one. After perhaps five or six hours of sleeping soundly, peacefully and undisturbed they both jolted awake to the sounds of terrified screams.

"Now what?" the Nightmare King groaned with exasperation. He seemed to need a bit more time than his young companion to be fully awake. Melissa had already kicked her makeshift blanket away and was up and at the window before Pitch could even shake off the drowsiness.

The girl pressed her face to the boards, peeking through the gaps to find out what the racket was about. She could already tell that it was more than one person and they both sounded quite young.

When she finally saw them, the let out a gasp herself and stumbled back from the window. She was not quite sure what she had seen but there were two kids out there, a small girl who looked much younger than herself and a teenage boy. And he was in terrible trouble. Some creature of a kind that Melissa had never seen in her life hat taken a hold of the boy's leg and was dragging him into the shallow water. She could still hear him screaming in pain and the little girl in sheer terror.

"He's... being eaten alive!" Melissa stammered in shock but it only lasted for a second. Then she turned on her heel and made a dash for her dagger which lay right beside her makeshift bed.

"Hey!" The Nightmare King struggled to get up as the girl dashed past him and out of the room in nothing but her underwear. "Where do you think you are going?"

"I've got to help!" she yelled and a moment later Pitch could hear her banging and kicking against the barred door that would lead her straight outside. He was on his feet in an instant now, all weariness forgotten. He rushed after her, trying to stop her but he could already hear the brittle wood splintering under the girl's onslaught. He had almost caught up to her when the door cracked open and Pitch was instantly stopped by the deep golden glow of the evening sun.

He could hear his little friend's running feet outside, heard water splashing under every step even over the screams. He had no idea what kind of trouble she was getting herself into but it could not be good.

He had to stop her... somehow... but he could see absolutely nothing. The light litterally blinded him. It stung so bad, he had to take a step back into the partial shade of the rotting building. "Liz!" he yelled after her. "Stop! Come back!"

But she did not stop and she did not come back. He strained his ears to hear what was going on and what he heard sounded an awful lot like battle. He could feel cold fear creeping into his heart.

Melissa had no time to be afraid though. She had no idea what this thing was but it had that boy's leg between more and bigger teeth than she had ever seen. The creatures legs were short however and it looked rather clumsy which made her think she had a chance. She jumped the beast and tried to drive her dagger into it only to find that thick scales lined it's back like some natural armor which her dagger refused to penetrate. Or she was simply not strong enough.

But all her years in the wilds had taught her that every creature had a vulnerable spot. If she could not stab this thing in the back, then she had to find a way to get to its softer belly. It was not even that big. Just barely as long as she was tall and a lot of that size was taken up by the creatures tail. Turning it over should not be too difficult, she believed, but not as long as it was sinking its teeth into that poor kids leg.

She pressed down on the creature, trying to stay out of biting range. Melissa had to keep its head in place and then pry this large maw open.

"Let go of him you ugly, stinking swamp monster!" she roared.

And hearing this, Pitch finally knew what she was fighting.

 _An Alligator! Why in the realm of darkness does she have to be so reckless? She's getting herself killed for sure._

He had to get out there and help her. He could not possibly let her fight a full grown beast like that with nothing but a dagger and her bare hands. But the sunlight stung him so much. He knew it would not kill him - not instantly, but he would probably end up with the worst sunburn in history and be out of business for weeks. But the fear of losing her was greater than the pain.

 _I have to save her... I can't let her die out there. Not after all she has done for me..._

So he gritted his teeth and stepped into the light. He tried his best to ignore the pain but he had never faced such a challenge. Never before had he dared to walk in direkt sunlight. Now it made his skin prickle uncomfortably but his eyes were the main problem. They instantly started to water and burned like hell.

But he pushed forward, following Melissa's angry shouts. There was another young child around who was still screaming hysterically, making his ears ring. The boy he had heard yelling in pain earlier seemed to have quieted down but he could hear him whimper somewhere not too far ahead.

Melissa had somehow managed to get on top of the creature with her feet set firmly on either side of its long, massive head. Also her dagger had managed to penetrate the leathery skin around the animal's neck and it's blood was already turning the shallow water around them red. Melissa dug her small hands in between the monster's teeth and pulled with all her might.

The animal fought back and it was strong but Liz was not exactly weak for a child her age. And fueled by rage and determination, she managed to pull up the upper jaw of the creature.

"Pull it out, quickly!" she yelled at the boy, who sat in the mud before her and just stared up at her as if he was dreaming. "What are you waiting for!" she hollered. "Hurry up before this beast breaks free!"

The kid still didn't react until his younger sibling came running up from behind him and grabbed his arm. The girl had stopped screaming and now did her part by pulling her brother out of harms way. The boy got the point. He made an effort to free his injured leg and inched away from the angry alligator.

The moment he was out of reach, Melissa let go of the creatures jaws and instantly the beast tried to struggle free. It was not that strong now. Apparently it was beginning to feel the bloodloss, but Melissa had just about exhausted her stamina.

She could hear Pitch yell her name almost frantically but what startled her was how close his voice was. Distracted she looked back over her shoulder and nearly choked at the sight. The animal made good use of her lapse and by shaking its large head back and forth, threw her off balance and nearly took a bite out of her.

The girl stumbled backwards and landed on her buttocks in the muck right beside the large reptile which turned on her without hesitation.

The two strange kids started screaming again, the boy was calling something to her that she did not understand. But when the long jaws shapped shut merely an inch away from her own legs, she let out a frightned scream. Melissa backed away from the beast as quickly as she could and hoped that it would just slither back to where it had come from but her interference and the stings from her dagger seemed to have really riled it up good.

Instead of appreciating its freedom and getting away it chose to attack the pesky human who had so insolently stolen its prey.

Pitch could hear the the children shouting not far ahead and then Melissa's terrified scream. It nearly made his heart stop. "Liz! Liz, are you alright? Where are you?"

He kept moving with his eyes squeezed shut against that awful light. He had tried to see, he really had but the fact that the sunset was also reflecting mercilessly on the sparkling surface of the water before him didn't help one bit.

The girl had no time to look around at him but she had seen his face just before. She could not even imagine the amount of pain he had to be in right now.

She knew he was worried about her - more than that, he was genuinely afraid for her and she deeply appreciated the sentiment. But she could not possibly understand what he was trying to do. This was completely insane! Even though the sun was as good as gone, it still hurt him and he couldn't even see. How was he planning on being of any help like this?

She wanted to yell at him to go back inside but those huge teeth were closing in on her again quickly. That obstinate animal really had it in for her. She crawled away backwards, trying to keep her kicking legs out of its reach. She had to get back to her feet but there was no time. How could such an ungainly thing move so fast?

At that moment however the sun was suddenly swallowed by thick, dark clouds that seemed to appear from out of nowhere. They suddenly rose up from he horizon, blocked the setting sun and covered the landscape in twilight. The Nightmare King felt the change instantly and he dared to finally open his eyes.

He became aware of the situation and was actually relieved. The gator was not nearly as large as he had believed.

 _Just a juvenile... thank the heavens for those clouds_

He did not hesitate but rushed forward now, past Melissa and stepped down on the large reptiles snapping snout, keeping it closed and down in the mud with a force the creature was no match for. Of course it fought back and tried to wriggle free but struggling was futile at this point.

"You alright, Liz?" he looked down at her and saw her nod. She looked a bit pale and quite stunned at the sudden turn of events.

"I'm fine" she sighed and struggled to her feet, staring down at the trapped creature and then up into his face. Pitch still looked a bit strained but he just nodded.

"Get this over with... please. This beast will not stop hunting you now."

She understood what he meant and nodded, grasping her dagger tighter. "Can you help me turn it over?"

The two kids looked on in stunned silence as that strange, half naked girl and her even stranger and perfectly creepy companion made short work of the predator.

The boy had actually made it to his feet but was leaning on his small sisters shoulder for support. He had rolled up his pants to check on his wounds but they were not nearly as bad as he or in fact Melissa had first thought.

But this was now not her most urgent concern. She turned to Pitch and glared up at him.

"What were you thinking?" she hissed. "Coming out here in broad daylight! Have you lost your mind? You could have died!"

The Nightmare King's expression almost matched her own. "I don't think you are in any position to talk, Liz. What you did was reckless and dangerous! Damn!" he growled. "I thought I'd loose you!"

The girl bit her lip at this and lowered her eyes to the ground and to the dead creature beside them. Those teeth sure looked dangerous. She could consider herself lucky.

"I'm sorry" she apologized. "When I saw what was happening... I couldn't stop myself. When I saw those two and heard them screaming like that..." she nodded over at the frightened looking siblings.

"You saw yourself" the Nightmare King finished for her.

Melissa nodded. "I just couldn't stop myself. I knew this time I could actually do something... I just had to..."

Pitch knew what she meant. Seeing this must have brought back painful memories for her and if he was truly honest with himself, he was quite proud of her. When his hand reached out for her shoulder, she almost backed away, afraid of another dressing down but she merely gasped when she was pulled into a surprisingly gentle embrace.

"I understand" he told her. "And besides, you did good! You saved them. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

Melissa returned the gesture and knew that everything was alright again. "I'm sorry I blew our cover. I guess we will have to move again, won't we?"

Pitch shrugged and looked over at those two kids who were still standing nearby. They were eying them warily but when they noticed that tall, creepy man looking at them, the boy staggered forward a few steps.

He said something that Melissa did not understand, not even one word of it. She looked up at her friend nervously.

To her own surprise he replied to the teenager in the same strange language. "You... understand them?" she whispered.

He simply nodded and then asked a question of his own that made the boy look down at himself and then shrug before replying.

Melissa bit her lip. She had no idea what was going on. But since she could not take part in the conversation she knelt down beside the carcass of the creature to investigate. She turned it this way and that, touched the teeth carefully and then cut it open a bit more to sniff a the flesh.

"That is called an Alligator, by the way" Pitch remarked without being asked. Liz however gave him a deadpan.

"I couldn't care less what it is called. What I want to know is: Can I eat it?"

For a moment the Nightmare King looked almost gobsmacked but then his mouth started to twitch involuntarily and then, unable to stop himself, he started laughing.

She only shrugged but then looked around when that little girl said something. Until now she had not heard her speak but she sounded frightened.

 _Well... Pitch has this effect on people... but he just helped to save them... why is she still afraid?_

Then however, Melissa remembered quite clearly just how scared she had been when she had awoken inside his cave what seemed like ages ago. And he had in fact saved _her_ life then.

Pitch's voice distracted her from her thoughts as he replied in that odd language. It did sound kind of nice though. Like nothing she had ever heard but she enjoyed hearing it.

She listened with fascination as more words were exchanged and registered how the two children's expressions slowly became less and less nervous until they were both grinning and finally the boy pointed back along the shore at some low buildings in the distance.

Melissa had looked around while she listened. They were indeed at the shore of a wide river but there was also the smell of swamp in the air. She could see the outline of trees against the darkening sky on the far side of the river. When she followed the boy's outstretched finger she became aware of something that looked like a settlement but she had to admit that it was nothing like the villages she had come across when she had traveled the wilds with her father. Never before had she seen a village... or rather a town of such proportions. The sheer size and the beauty of the partly illuminated buildings made her jaw drop. Some of them looked like castles to her, all made of stone with little towers. It was a mesermizing sight that made her head swim.

It took her some effort to look away from the town and back along the shoreline.

The barred up building they had slept in was located on the very outskirts and the ones that the boy was pointing at looked nearly as run down as that old ruin and much smaller.

But there were lights behind the windows that made them look warm and welcoming. She could hear Pitch talk again and suddenly the two siblings started laughing.

The boy limped forward a bit, approaching Melissa. He grinned broadly and said something, pointing at her and then the dead creature.

"I... I don't understand" she stammered and looked up at Pitch for help.

"He says thanks for the rescue and he finds your question from earlier very funny. According to him, there is no better meat." The Nightmare King hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. "He also says he's sure that his mother would be delighted to prepare it for you if we help him to bring it back to their house."

Melissa stared at him and then down at her feet feeling torn and guilty. "But we have to go, right? I mean... I blew our cover."

"That's what I thought, but..." Pitch looked away from her and back to the ruined shack they had hidden in all day. "With all that running and hiding, you haven't had a square meal in days..."

He didn't get to say another word but nearly jumped out of his skin because that little girl had walked right up to him and was tugging at his robes. She talked quickly, animatedly and with some sort of urgency. Then she smiled brightly and pointed at Melissa.

The Nightmare King found himself in a real fix. He had never been in a situation like this before and he had not the slightest idea how to handle it.

On top of that, there was the language barrier that was cutting his young friend off from everyone and constantly translating to her was already getting on his nerves. Not because it was additional talking but because he could sense Melissa's confusion and mounting frustration about her inability to communicate with those children.

He had to come to a decision and it was one of the most difficult ones he had ever faced. He could not deny that the little one, who still stood right before him had a point. Melissa was wearing little more than a pair of thin knee-long, loose fitting underpants and a worn sleeveless shirt and since she had just wrestled around in the muck, she looked a real mess - and a skinny one too.

 _And those children seem to have not the slightest idea who I am... It might just work out fine... as long as we are careful..._

Then he looked at the boy. He was still smiling too but he could tell the kid was in a lot of pain. Their home wasn't too far away but Pitch doubted that he would be able to walk all the way.

Finally after what seemed like minutes of silent contemplation he finally nodded. The little girl's grin nearly took in her ears when Pitch turned to Melissa.

"We'll go with them. Do you think you can drag this beast along?"

Melissa took a step back in perfect surprise. Those words coming from the Nightmare King nearly threw her off balance again. Did he really just say that or were her ears playing tricks on her?

He just watched her with a spark of curiosity in his eyes that seemed to be glowing slightly in the rising dusk. The sun had nearly disappeared behind a dense cluster of trees on the other shore and the remaining red and golden glow didn't bother him much now.

"You are making fun of me. Or is this some kind of test?" the girl whispered and eyed him doubtfully but he shook his head.

"I'll explain it later. Now can you move this thing or would you rather carry him?" the Nightmare King nodded over at the boy who just looked on suppressing his obvious pain.

"You mean..." Melissa started but then just bent down and tugged at the so called alligator's tail. "No problem" she nodded then. "Let's go." Melissa started to pull her prey along but stopped to watch in wonder how the Nightmare King allowed the boy to mount his back.

 _I wouldn't have believed that if anyone told me... I still don't believe it now... He really cares! Is it just because the fearlings are not influencing him any more?_

She hurried to keep up with him but kept wondering.

 _That can't be. If he never cared before, why did he save my life back then? Just for a plan B? I don't believe that... maybe it was just an excuse... he actually did care but wouldn't admit it! And now... he's being so nice... and not just to me..._

Pitch looked back at her to check if she could keep up with her load. She did but he noticed that she had probably overestimated herself. Apparently the carcass was getting heavier with every step.

He slowed down a bit and allowed her to catch up. "Sure you can handle this thing?"

"It's heavy" she admitted but then nodded confidently. "But I can do it."

The Nightmare King narrowed his eyes a bit, not sure if she was really telling the truth or if she was just playing tough. Lizl however looked up at the boy's leg. The legs of his pants had slipped up, due to being carried piggyback, exposing the wound. The bite-marks didn't look very deep but a bit ragged. Apparently the animal had tried rather to rip than to bite through.

"That must really hurt a lot" she remarked quietly pointing. The boy looked down at her in confusion. He seemed to ask something in that strange language and Pitch nodded. Then he asked something else and received a longer reply.

The Nightmare King started moving forward again and Melissa gripped the alligator creature's tail firmly and pulled. To her surprise the young girl was suddenly beside her and, with a smile took a hold of the tail as well.

She couldn't help but smile back at her and with their strength combined the heavy body moved along a bit quicker and easier than before. But Liz couldn't help studying those two young ones. She knew that it was not polite to stare, but the younger girl was doing the same as they dragged the carcass along. They were both staring and almost grinning at each other, knowing that they would have so much to talk about if they only understood what the other was saying.

Melissa could not help but marvel at her tanned skin, her large sparkling dark brown eyes beneath her dark curls, which were almost the same color as hers. She had never met anyone who looked so... exotic. And once again she wondered, to what place in the world Pitch had taken her. These children were not even afraid of him... as if they didn't know who he was.

 _They probably don't... perhaps he's not done much mischief around here... he had been concentrating on Santoff Claussen all this time... or maybe these people here just don't have dreams good enough to spark his interest... those two do look a bit run down too._

It was true. Compared to the children she had encountered in her life so far, those two clearly looked poor. She also noticed that they both seemed quite wiry – as if they had to do a lot of hard work.

"He says thank you for your concern" Pitch interrupted her thoughts and she looked up in surprise. She had been so lost in thoughts that she had not paid any attention to the conversation that had been going on next to her. "But he also says that it looks worse than it is and that he'll be alright. I believe it too. I've seen worse than that. He'll be just fine."

"Glad to hear it" she mumbled and smiled up at her companion and the boy, who was looking down at her from his back, smiling and nodding.

Then the girl next to her said something and pointed ahead. The small buildings they were heading too had come a lot closer and Melissa noticed more details. The houses looked more like shacks made of rough wood and the water was only a few steps away from the doors. She also noticed that the people who lived here had put up a low wall of earth, wood and rock, that kept the water from coming any closer. Apparently the river was slowly but steadily biting its way into the land.

The younger girl was still talking and pointing excitedly and as Melissa's eyes followed the gesture she saw smoke rising from the first of the small shacks.

"Is that your home?" she asked hopefully and saw Pitch nod.

"That's what she says. And she tells us that her mother is preparing dinner right now."

"Pitch?" she asked quite timidly, causing him to look back at her while the two native kids looked on and listened to that odd language with interest and curiosity. "How come they are not afraid of you?"

The Nightmare King shrugged slightly and then sighed. "I haven't given them much reason to fear me. I only came across this place when I was doing a bit of exploring. After I had been released from that cave... but back then I realized that these people already have their own monsters and demons to fear. I watched them bar up this old house with the help of some kind of wizard. They called him a voodoo priest. They believed the place was haunted by an evil spirit and that made it the perfect save house should I ever need to go into hiding."

Liz nearly dropped the alligator tale. "We slept in a haunted house?" she gasped in dismay. Of course she had heard stories of such places and they had given her the creeps. Calling a haunted house safe was ridiculous but considering the company she was in... perhaps it was not so silly after all.

"It's just an old house. If there was a ghost or a spirit in there, I would have been the first one to notice" the Nightmare King assured her. "But the people here believe it."

Liz nodded at that. Everything he said made sense somehow but she could think about that later. They had almost reached the house.

"Pitch?" she asked again in spite of herself. "What is that language they are speaking."

"French" he told her and the girl's jaw dropped.

"Didn't you say that we were still in America?"

"Yes, but French colonists built this place, look up there!"

She did and saw the outline of that amazingly large settlement up on the hill. "That's the town itself. We are only in the outskirts here where the poor people live. The richer folks have their houses up there."

Melissa nodded. These people lived close to the water because they were probably fishermen. But with beasts like the one she was pulling along, this had to be a rather dangerous job around here. She looked back at the young girl, who was grinning up at her and then at the boy watching her from his perch on Pitch's back.

"I'd really like to know their names" she said then. "Do you know them?"

The Nightmare King nodded and then raised an eyebrow her way. "I do, but why don't you find a way to ask for yourself?"

Melissa was close to emitting steam from her ears. Why couldn't he just tell her? Why was everything always some kind of test or trial? But then she just rolled her eyes once and turned to the younger girl beside her. The child had her eyes on her home and was pulling along with more force than she would have given her credit for.

"Hey" she said and the girl looked around at her, always smiling.

Melissa did the easiest thing she could think of and simply pointed at her own chest. "Liz" she said, thinking that shorter was better in this situation.

"Liz?" the girl repeated with a frown.

"That's my name" she said slowly. "I am Liz" she pointed at herself again and then at her. "Who are you?"

"Aaaaahhh!" the girl nearly squealed. "Je m'appelle Leonie!"

The Russian girl cocked her head inquiringly. She had not understood a word. But then the girl repeated one word, pointing at herself. "Leonie."

"Leonie!" she gasped and understood. They both grinned at each other.

"Mon frère s'appelle Jean!" the tanned girl said and gave the alligator tale a good tug as she nodded up to her brother.

"What?" Liz shrugged and Leonie giggled. She pointed at the boy on Pitch's back and nodded. "Jean."

"Aaaaaahh!" Liz imitated her and pointed up at the boy. "Jean."

The boy who had watched that short exchange attentively began to giggle and soon all four of them were laughing, even the King of Nightmares. He had already explained that he and his small friend had traveled far and that they were both strangers here. That girl who had saved him didn't even understand their language. But that didn't mean that they couldn't have fun together. She was about his age and exceptionally brave. She had attacked and killed that small alligator with nothing but a knife and her bare hands! Jean had to admit that he was quite impressed. He waved down at her from the tall stranger's back.

"Salut, Liz" he said and her name sounded strange from his mouth. But Melissa liked it a lot. She didn't need to ask to know that he was saying hello.

"Sa.. loui? Jean?" she tried to imitate him.

The two bayou-children laughed heartily at the strange girls attempt at their language but Liz was not offended. She laughed along with them but their mirth had awoken her resolve. She wanted to learn this. She wanted to be able to speak as they did and talk to them.

But before she could even tell Pitch about this, the small girl beside her let go of the carcass and ran off ahead. They were only a stone's throw away from their home and Leonie dashed off to tell her mother what was coming her way.

She burst in through the door, right into the room that took up most of their tiny home. There her mother was kneeling on a rug, stirring a large wooden spoon around in a even larger cauldron over a crackling fire.

"Maman!" she squealed and the woman turned to her with a smile until she saw the look on her daughter's face.

Leonie told her about the alligator attack and about the strange girl who had thrown herself on top of the animal and had rescued her brother. She also told her about the girl's weird companion, who had carried Jean all the way back here and also that they were right outside.

"Mon Dieu!" the woman gasped and was on her feet in an instant. "Go, Leonie. Bring them here. If they saved Jean, they'll be our guests for the night... or for as long as they wish!"

The child nodded and ran back outside, her mother right behind her. But nothing could have prepared the poor woman for the sight she was confronted with seconds later. Yes there was a girl, a really strange and pale one, with sleek dark hair and she was not wearing anything besides her underwear! And then there was that even stranger man. Tall and thin with gray skin and glowing eyes, wearing some kind of robe, like one of the voodoo priests. But only looking at him sent shivers down her spine.

But there was her son, Jean, riding on his back witch his arms around the stranger's neck, smiling down at her.

Her motherly instincts were greater that her sudden discomfort and she rushed forward. "Jean, my dear, are you alright? Are you in pain?"

"I'm fine, Maman" the boy told her with unshakable confidence and obvious excitement. "Liz there saved me and killed the alligator… with nothing more than a knife! It was incredible! And then Pitch carried me all the way back here. Please mother, they are travelers from far away, I mean really far! They've taken shelter in that haunted house down the river... but they saved me. Maman, can they at least stay here for a night?"

Pitch had never felt so uncomfortable but then he looked down at his little friend, who had done so much for him. He had dragged her from place to place. But this was a chance to let her enjoy the company of other children. And these people here didn't even know who or what he was. Somehow taking advantage of their hospitality felt strangely wrong, but for her sake..."

He bent down and placed the boy back on the ground. Jean limped over to his mother who examined his wounds and then the creature who had attacked her boy.

"You brought that back here?" she muttered thoughtfully, looking at the three children in turn but avoided eye contact with the tall stranger.

"Oui maman" Leonie cheered. "I helped Liz carry it. It's worth at least a week of Gumbo, isn't it? And Liz has never tasted gator before. Pitch says that she comes from a country where it is much colder and there are no gators there. She didn't even know what it was!"

"That's right" Jean nodded eagerly. "Liz doesn't speak our language, but this guy does. He's been translating for us all the way back here - well mostly."

The woman smiled at all of them and then nodded at the door behind her. "Please do come in and be my guests. We have not much to offer but I would love it if you'd at least share dinner with us and sleep in our house. We'll find some space for both of you. But tell me, girl... why are you in your underwear?"

Liz could tell that the woman was talking to her but she didn't understand a word.

"Yes" Pitch cocked his head at her. "Why are you in your underwear?"

Melissa's face turned bright red but she rolled her eyes at her friend. "Look, mate. My clothes are made for the cold and it's hot here! I took them off because I've been sweating like a pig and..."

"Maybe you should sew yourself something more flexible to the changing temperatures then" the Nightmare King grinned.

"Yes... yes I will. I always wanted to ask you anyway if I could make myself something out of that stuff" she tugged at his robes. "It seems to have the same kind of qualities as that boat..."

 _The boat!_

Her thoughts ran wild all of a sudden and she barely realized how Pitch was explaining her lack of clothing or how the woman dragged them all inside and treated her son's wounds while Pitch gave her advise.

She had simply followed them inside and had sat down on a rug with Leonie beside her. Something smelled strange and yet wonderful. She knew it came from the cauldron and it made her realize how hungry she was.

"Liz! Liz!"

She shook the thoughts off and looked into Leonie's bright face. She was saying something and waved at her in an unmistakable gesture.

Even though she didn't understand the words, she got up nodding and allowed the younger girl to lead her away from the fireplace where the mother was tending Jean's wounds and where Pitch was sitting beside her watching and talking to her in that strange language.

"Where are we going?" she asked but they only entered an adjoining room and it was steaming with hot air. There was a small tub filled with hot water in the middle of the small room.

"Maman prepared it for me and Jean" Leonie explained. "But he can't go in there now, so we should share it. Come on Liz! You are filthy!"

Melissa had a pretty good idea what this was about but she didn't move until the younger girl had completely undressed, gotten into the tub and urged her to follow with many words and gestures.

 _Yeah.. I really need a bath, don't I? I probably smell of sweat and swamp and alligator..._

"Alright" she said and stripped herself off the few shreds of clothing she was wearing before she eased herself into the tub beside the strange girl.

Leonie grinned at her and splashed a bit of water her way as their legs connected beneath the surface.

Liz grinned and pushed a small wave back at her. She thought of the macaques she had met in Japan, but this here might be even more fun.

"Leonie, how old are you?" she asked slowly and got her attention. There was another language barrier to be broken and she was all for it.

"I'm .. I think I am fourteen" Liz held up her hands, all two at once and then four more fingers. Then she pointed at herself.

With her far more childish mind, Leonie got the point and even though she could not count that well, she knew that Liz was older than her. More than one pair of hands! She held up one hand and then three fingers of the other, as she had been told on her last birthday.

"You are eight" Liz smiled and drew the number into the air with a finger. Leonie recognized the symbol of eternity and nodded eagerly before she noticed the expression of sorrow on her new friends face.

"When I was eight" Liz mumbled. "... my mother was taken from me. My entire village was burnt down by vile Cossack thieves. Only my father and I made it out alive..."

The younger girl watched her intently. She didn't understand her words but it seemed that something bad had happened to her and she had somehow been reminded of it now. Leonie wanted her new friend to smile again and she knew just what to do.

"Hey!" Liz gasped when a hand full of warm water was splashed into her face. She gazed at the young girl first with a frown but could not keep it up when she saw that trollish grin on her face. A minute later they were both giggling and splashing water at each other again.

Outside in the main room three faces turned towards the door.

"Sounds like those two are having fun" the woman remarked before she bent down again to treat her son's wounds. Now that she had cleaned them, they really weren't half as bad as they had first seemed.

The Nightmare King had watched her work while she and the boy as well were pestering him with questions. Why on earth were they hiding in that old haunted ruin? Where were they from? What were they doing here? Why were they travelling so far from their home? Unlike himself the woman had clearly gotten over her discomfort.

Now he had no idea what to tell them. The truth seemed out of question but those kind people had taken them in for the night even though he knew that he was still giving that woman goosebumps. He had felt her sudden fear when she had first laid eyes on him. Now however, she was smiling and was was actually makim him feel welcome. And she was right too. Liz seemed to be having a blast with that younger girl just now. Hearing her laugh was like balm for his soul and it told him that he was doing the right thing here.

"It's a long story full of woe" he sighed. "I don't think hearing it would put you at ease. And I do not wish for you to fear me."

"Fear you?" Jean gasped. The boy was staring at him and so was his mother. That man had helped to save his life not even an hour ago. Why would he fear him? Okay, he looked weird in that black gown and with that odd complexion but he was a stranger in a strange land here. Perhaps were he came from people looked like this. "You can tell us" he told him with a nod. "I am not afraid."

"Yes, Mr. … Pitch" the woman nodded a bit hesitantly. "Please tell us. We all do enjoy a good story."

The Nightmare King sighed deeply and wondered if he really should. He was not much of a lier, in fact he dispised it. But what would happen if he told them the truth? Again he heard the girls laugh and he nodded to himself. He didn't even know why but suddenly talking became a lot easier to him.

"It might not be a good story, but it is a true one. Where we come from, people _do_ fear me" he started. "And for good reason too. To them I am the Nightmare King. I steal children's beautiful dreams and turn them into nightmares. I've been trying to dominate this world and drown it in fear and darkness..."

Both the woman and her son gaped at him in awe and dawning horror but Pitch smiled at them, lopsided, and shrugged as if he was embarrassed. "Things have changed for me though and right now... I have to admit that I'm a bit lost" he admitted. "Ever since I've met Melissa..."

"Melissa?" Jean dared to ask, not knowing who the strange man was referring to. But Pitch was quick to clear the matter up.

"Liz" he said and nodded at the door. He could still hear the two girls giggling but not as noisily as before. "It's shorter and easier, but her name is Melissa. I saved her life once but she has saved mine … countless times since then. And not just my life... I think she saved a lot more than just that." He did not know about that warm smile that was gradually spreading across his face. He did not know about the golden glow in his eyes. All he knew was how grateful he felt.

"I think she saved my very soul" he realized even as he spoke. "She freed me from the demons that had ruled my whole existence and now I... I guess I am ready for a new chapter. I want to protect her. She means a lot to me... and it feels so good to hear her laugh like that." He looked up with a start and into the dark eyes of that careworn woman before him. She had a pretty face but looked older than she really was. She also looked a bit shocked, but she was smiling at him.

"You want to make her happy" she nodded. "In our culture we believe in many ghosts and spirits. You might be a bit similar to one we call le père fouettard, but you saved my boy and I won't hold it against you. You care about Liz and that's all that matters."

Jean had been listening with rapture and now he nodded too. "If you and Liz... Melissa had not been around, I'd be alligator food now. I don't care what you've been doing until now. You two are my heroes!"

"Jean is right" the woman said. "And you are our guests. I might have to convince my husband when he get's home but I'm sure he'll be thrilled. He loves to entertain and tell stories of his own adventures out there. He should be around in a bit."

Pitch nodded blankly. He had not really thought about it before but there had to be a man around this house. He looked back at the woman. He knew nothing about her or her family. He wanted to know where exactly he was staying. "Miss... will you tell me about your family?" he asked and felt quite awkward by doing so. He was not used to talking like this to anyone but Melissa.

"Émeline" the woman said with the kindest of smiles. "My name is Émeline."

The Nightmare King nodded but the name struck a chord deep within. It reminded him of something, someone. He could almost feel another memory surfacing but he could not allow this now. He had to stay wary and focused and Émeline was already talking, distracting him from his own thoughts. She told him about their life on the Bayou, about her husband who was a fisherman and the children. Jean was grinning as he listened and threw in a comment or two. Pitch listened and nodded and came to understand their way of life. It was simple, poor even but they were happy. They were happy because they had each other, they were a family.

"Enviable" he breathed at some point and smiled at both of them and before he was faced with any more questions Melissa and Leonie emerged from the small bathroom. The younger girl was wearing a simple nightdress but Liz was only wrapped up in a towel. She looked a bit panicky and all Pitch could do was shrug.

But Émeline was already on her feet. She left the larger kitchen to find her own spare nightdress in the small bedroom she shared with her husband. She brought it back and handed it to the pale young girl with much ado.

"Mercie" Melissa said with a bright smile. She had already learned a few more words during her bath with Leonie. "Mercie beaucoup."

Émeline beamed at her and then turned to her other guest. "She's quite bright, that young girl of yours. She learns quickly."

Pitch felt a wave of pride rushing through him. Yes, he was proud and pleasantly surprised too. He had known that Liz was smart when it came to surviving but he had not thought that foreign languages would come easy to her. A few minutes later however, she was sitting beside him in that borrowed nightdress and Émeline was handing them small bowls of Gumbo. Pitch tried to refuse but had no chance. He knew that if he didn't want to offend their host, he would have to eat, no matter now strange it was for him.

Jean and Leonie were both digging in and after watching them for maybe a minute, Melissa did the same. She was hungry but she was enjoying to see them eat with such gusto. When she dipped her spoon into the strange stew she braced herself and a moment later her face lit up. She wished she knew the right words to say what she wanted to in French but she didn't.

"This is really, really delicious!" she said instead. She looked up at the woman and then at Pitch, who was still stirring around in his bowl. "Come on, Pitch. Taste it at least. That stuff is great!"

But before the Nightmare King even got a chance to reply the door flew open and a man walked into the room. He was tall and muscular with the same tanned skin as the rest of the family but his face was weary. He was grinning though and held up a rather large fish. He started to say something but then became aware of the strangers. He looked at his wife, who was getting up and smiling at him.

She shoved him, fish and all back outside. Jean struggled to his feet and hobbled after them. He wanted to help his mother explain. The master of the small house learned quickly what had occurred, looked at his son's leg and nodded. Those strangers looked weird enough but he loved to have guests. Not even five minutes later they were all back inside and gathered around their dinner. The man, Felipe, Èmeline's husband was talking and telling stories of his day.

Pitch listened to them almost as eagerly as the children did. Even Melissa could not take her eyes of him. She didn't understand his words but the way he was talking was so animated that it hardly mattered. She wasn't sad that she didn't know the language, she found it amazing and she devoured every word, no matter how alien this French still sounded to her.

When the mother finally got up and collected everyone's dishes and started to wash them, Liz had jumped to her feet in order to help her. And the Nightmare King had actually followed suit. He was a guest here and believe it or not, he had manners. But Émeline pushed them both back onto their seats and allowed only Leonie to help her with her work.

They were both uncomfortable with the situation but Felipe clapped their shoulders and wanted to know about the alligator. Jean was more than willing to repeat the entire story and Liz could almost understand it by now. Jean was now sitting next to her and tried to translate the story with gestures and words. And when it was over he kept talking to the strange pale girl with more gestures and words and his sister joined him. Melissa was talking back to them with gestures and words of her own. She barley understood them but she was having fun. This was almost better than playing charade with Fog on that egg-train. They were talking and laughing and not understanding each other much but she was having a wonderful time.

Pitch was talking to Èmeline and Felipe and Liz saw him looking at her every now and then. The Nightmare King seemed to be having a splendid time himself and the smiles they exchanged were telling them both that it had been a good decision to come here.

Far too soon it was time to sleep for the children and Émeline showed them their beds for the night. She suggested that Liz should share Leonie's bed and the girl was not too happy with it. She looked up at Pitch with pleading eyes. She wanted to be with him. No matter how much she liked those people, she was suddenly afraid again that Pitch might run off and leave her here. He had mentioned before that staying with him was not safe for her and that Mother Nature – no, Emily Jane would do them both harm if they stayed together. Melissa knew better now - but Pitch didn't.

She could not get rid of that hidden fear that he would try to leave her. She knew that he appreciated her and was grateful for what she had done to keep him alive. And she also knew that he would do anything to keep her away from harm.

So when Émeline came up to her and tried to usher her into bed along with her daughter she looked around pleadingly at Pitch. She found no words but he was looking back at her and saw fear in her eyes.

The Nightmare King was confused. Liz had had so much fun here tonight. Why was she afraid now? What was she fearing? Felipe was talking to him animatedly and that made it hard for him to concentrate. But the man realized the look on his face. He fell silent and his eyes followed his guests gaze. He too saw Melissa's fearful face as his wife shooed her and Leonie to the small bedroom.

"She's a bit clingy, that girl of yours, isn't she?" he smiled.

 _Clingy?_ Pitch wondered as he lost sight of the girls. He nodded slowly. _Maybe she is, but I can't say that I'm taking this much better._

It was true. He would have preferred to keep her close but had not objected when Émeline had decided that the two girls would share a bed. Pitch had even wondered if he would have gotten any queer looks if he had even said a word about it. When the mother returned a few minutes later, Jean had already retired to his own little chamber and Felipe was talking about that alligator again, promising that he would take it apart first thing in the morning. Émeline sat down next to him with a nod. "I will prepare some of the meat for both of you and cure the rest of it. It will take a few days to dry properly but it is Melissa's kill after all and you will need provisions."

 _A few days?_

The Nightmare King was beginning to feel fairly uneasy about this. He didn't want to stay here that long. In fact he had not even planned on staying the night. All he had wanted to do was to get the injured boy home safely and provide Melissa with a meal and perhaps a good time playing with other children. They really shouldn't stay here. Not for a couple of days. Pitch was still not convinced that the fearlings were truly gone for good and the longer they stayed in one place, the more likely would they find them.

And even if that Elephant was right and the fearlings were forever destroyed, there was still his daughter out there. She might be searching for them even now and if she caught them both here, not only Liz and and himself would be in trouble. He could not risk to bring her wrath down on those good people.

For a moment he even considered to leave the girl here. She would learn the language quickly enough and would finally be part of a wonderful functional family. But he pushed that thought away in an instant. Those folks could not possibly feed an additional mouth and he couldn't leave Melissa, he just couldn't. He didn't want to!

Émeline and her husband mistook the Nightmare King's silence for weariness and after a while they both turned in, wishing him a good night. They had left him a thin but rather soft mat of straw and a few strange bristly furs, that even Pitch could not identify but he didn't feel like sleeping. The night had only just begun and he was far from sleepy now. He had to think about the strange situation he found himself in. He had to make plans on where to go next from here and when. But it was hard to concentrate and even harder to relax with Melissa's fear still pouring in from the only partly closed door.

He was not sure if she was still awake but he could tell by now what she was so afraid of. It actually made him smile and shake his head in disbelief at the same time.

 _She really thinks I might leave her here... silly child. I really thought that she'd know me better... but the idea has crossed my mind... I don't even know myself, so how could she..._

Pitch ran a hand over his face, feeling confused about himself, about his actions of late. Nothing made sense to him anymore. What had become of his great plans? What would he do now, without the fearlings? All he knew for sure was that he wanted Melissa by his side, he wanted to protect her. She was only steps away in the room next door but he missed her so badly.

 _How could I ever even think about turning her into one of those monsters? How could I ever do something like this to any child? Not that I remember ever doing this... or have I? Have I really done things like this?_

The Nightmare King felt his mind go strangely blank as a memory forced itself upon him, pushing all other thoughts away. The room around him grew darker, much darker and then he found himself in a different place. It was a much larger room, a child's bedroom far away in another time, in another world. The place looked rich and clean but it was dark and swarming with fearlings. For a moment Pitch wanted to back away but could not move. He could hear the shadows laughing – not at him but at the young girl that was cowering on the shiny floor before him, just inches from his feet.

The child was younger than Melissa, perhaps Leonie's age but he didn't know her name. All he knew was that she was the youngest daughter of some noble family – a family he had completely destroyed. No, he was destroying it right now. Pitch could see himself reaching out for the small girl, saw the perfect terror in her eyes. She tried to crawl away from him but the fearlings stopped her. She was weeping and crying for help but his hand came closer until it hovered right above her head. Pitch gasped, realizing now that he was remembering again. And somewhere deep within him he knew what was coming.

He tried to move away but could not, he wanted to stop this from happening but he had no control here, he could not even look away or close his eyes. Her pleading screams were making his ears ring as he felt her soft hair under his hand and then it came in contact with her forehead. Pitch could feel the rush of energy as darkness flooded into the child from his own fingertips. The girl went rigid for a second before she slumped onto the ground screaming and twitching as her pale skin began to darken. She was writhing in unimaginable agony and Pitch felt it too. He wanted to stop this, he wanted to reach out to her, to hold her close, to comfort her, to apologize and tell her that it was just a bad dream – but it wasn't and Pitch could do nothing. Absolutely nothing and it nearly drove him insane with grief and anguish.

He wished, he could at least look away. He could not bear to see that child suffer but all he could do was watch. Her small body was getting weaker, the screaming had died down and her short, strained gasps for breath were only interrupted by a few agonized wails. The twitching and convulsions had stopped and she was flat on her back now, her arms and legs limp on the ground beside her. She was trembling violently as her skin blackened from the tips of her fingers and toes up towards her chest. Pitch knew now that once the darkness reached her heart it would all be over and it was happening way to slowly for his taste. He couldn't watch this anymore but the memory was relentless. It forced him to watch every moment of that little girl's terrible death. She was barely breathing now but still staring up at him with those deep blue eyes. The Nightmare King could feel the last bit of himself breaking when he saw those eyes. They were like Melissa's – no they were Melissa's!

And then he heard laughter. Not the fearlings' but his own horrible malicious laughter as the girl's blackened body fell apart into some kind of dark vapor and a new fearling was born


	22. Chapter 22

Melissa could not sleep. Her own fears and doubts were keeping her wide awake. Besides, she had slept several hours during the day, so she was not even a bit tired. And even though she could feel Leonie close beside her, sleeping soundly she missed her companion. He was not far away, just next door but would he really still be there in the morning? She knew well that he did not want to leave her but would not his fear of Mother Nature be stronger?

She wished with all her heart that he would remember his daughter soon. Once he did and had talked to her, all of this would hopefully be a thing of the past. She wasn't sure what would happen then but it would be better than being constantly on the run. As she pondered about her conversation with Emily Jane she found a small smile returning. She had called her little sister back then. Would Mother Nature perhaps move in with them when all of this was over? Would they become a real family? She wasn't sure. Would she not ask her to return to Santoff Claussen? Would Pitch still want her around once they had sorted things out? What would he do now anyway? Was he still going to give children nightmares or try to overthrow the Guardians? All those questions kept her mind so busy that she nearly missed the strange sounds from the kitchen. But since the house was silent she heard them almost instantly. Melissa sat up slowly and with a frown. What was Pitch doing out there?

She listened more intently and when she was quite sure that everyone else in the house was asleep, she carefully slipped out of the bed and tiptoed to the door. The fire in the kitchen was still burning low and Melissa saw her friend sitting on some odd furs with his back against the wall. He seemed awake, his eyes were wide open but he wore a most unsettling expression. He looked completely horrified. The girl shuffled over to him and took a closer look.

"Pitch?" She whispered his name and got down on her knees beside him. His face looked awful, the firelight was quite dim now but she could see it reflecting on his skin. It looked damp, wet even. And a second later her eyes grew quite big. He was crying. And as if to confirm her sudden realization he let out such a heartbreaking whimper that she instantly reached out for both of his shoulders. She knew what was happening. He was having another vision – another memory, and this one couldn't possibly be good.

Melissa wanted nothing more than to shake him and get him to snap out of it but she hesitated. He had wanted his memories so badly and even this one, no matter how terrible it might be was also a part of his past. She could not deny him this. But he looked so anguished and he was shivering too. The girl knew what she would have to do – again. It even came easy to her now. She slid closer to him to get a better hold of his shoulders, then she pulled his back away from the wall and wrapped her arms around his neck and held him as close and as tightly as she dared. She could not stop this thing from happening but she had to at least let him know and feel that he was not alone.

She did as good as she could but it was not easy. The Nightmare King was slender enough and Melissa was not exactly short for her age but Pitch was still exceptionally tall which made it hard enough to reach up and around him. But somehow she made it work, she had to. It still felt strange, he felt strange. He was so tense and still trembling but he felt unusually warm too.

They were close to the fireplace and the room was very warm but he felt almost hot and not just his pale right arm, all of him. It didn't seem natural. Melissa pulled him in even closer to herself and gently ran her hand up and down his back. And after perhaps a minute that strange tension left his body and he almost slumped into her. Pitch was not the least aware of where he was or what was happening but he could feel that gentle and yet strong hug. Without even knowing it he buried his face in the girl's small shoulder and wept bitterly. The nightmarish memory had passed but all he knew was that he would never get those images out of his mind. He had done this... it was all his fault... he really was a monster! A menace and a threat to everything that was good. He knew he deserved all that pain and terror he had gone through, he deserved to die.

Melissa was now positively alarmed by her friends lack of selfcontrol. Never before had he fallen apart like that – at least not in her presence.

 _Yes he has... when he had those nightmares... but then he didn't even know that I was there... what's happening to him?_

She did not let go though, if possible she held on even stronger than before and continued stroking his back and shoulder while Pitch nearly choked on his own desperate sobs. His head was on her shoulder and his heaving body had gone totally limp. A strand of his spiky black hair was tickling her nose and she instinctively brushed it aside. She ran her fingers almost tenderly though it and noticed something else. His hairline felt damp and she realized only now that he was soaked in sweat. That combined with the fact that he was so unnaturally warm made her wonder if he had a fever.

 _It sure feels like it... he's burning up..._

Pitch had never felt so awful as that little girl's death struggle kept playing over and over in his mind. For the first time in his existence he truly wanted to die. He never wanted to see anything like this again but as long as he was around, there was no guarantee. Of course he was not thinking straight. He was so overwhelmed with guilt that he had forgotten about the fearlings. He had almost forgotten about Melissa too... but that little girl had her eyes... and suddenly when he thought about her, he remembered where he was. At the same moment he became also aware that someone was hugging him tightly, comforting him, whispering that everything would be alright. It made him feel even worse.

 _I don't deserve such kindness... not after what I've done..._

He thought of the fearlings then and wondered how many of his minions had once been children just like that little girl. How many of them had he made suffer like that? How many had he killed? Pitch felt sick to his stomach, literally. Before he knew what he was doing he pushed Melissa away from him with a force.

The girl fell backwards and onto her buttocks with a stifled yelp and could only watch her friend struggle to his feet and then stumble away towards the door that led outside. Her eyes widened with fear.

 _He's running away without me!_

In an instant she was back on her feet as well and rushed for the door after him. It was quite dark and a few clouds were blocking out the moon. She could not see him. But then she heard strange retching noises somewhere to her right. When she turned that way she could see his outline. He was leaning against the side of the shack and was being sick. He was throwing up.

 _I didn't even know he could... maybe he really shouldn't have eaten that Gumbo stuff..._

Slowly Melissa made her way over to him careful not to trip over anything she couldn't see. But then the clouds moved and the moon shone down on them, illuminating the scene before her. Pitch looked dreadful, his usually dark gray face looked so pale it was almost glowing in the soft light. The contents of his stomach were glistening at his feet and he seemed ready to pass out. She moved a bit faster and then took his hand, staring up at him.

"Pitch?"

He was breathing deeply, inhaling the now cool night air and trying to get to grips with what he had done. It seemed impossible and he felt so weak and worthless. They had all been right about him. He was a monster. He was pure evil... Then he felt a small hand around his and looked down into those deep blue eyes. The eyes of his only friend.

"Melissa" he whispered. _She's alive... at least I didn't kill her... but all those others... how can I ever live with myself... now that I know..._

The girl smiled up at him at the sound of her name. She tugged at his hand. "Are you feeling a bit better now?" she asked gently and tried to get him to move. She could not risk him falling over into what he had just left there on the swampy ground and he looked just about ready to faint.

Pitch gazed down at the puddle before his feet and shook his head. He didn't feel better. He had never felt worse. But then he looked back at the girl's pale face. It seemed to almost glow in the bit of moonlight. She looked almost as she had back at the flying Elephant's temple when that moonbeam had illuminated her. There had been that silvery sheen in her eyes and he could almost imagine it there again. But they were just deep blue and wide with anxiety. She was trying to smile but he could tell that she was scared.

"Please" she whispered, tugging at his hand again. "Let's go back inside."

Once again he shook his head but felt a lot more steady now. "I can't stay here, Liz. It's not safe... I'm not safe..." he stammered but Melissa at least managed to pull him away from that disgusting puddle of puke.

"Yes it is" the girl objected. "Come on, just one night here won't kill us. We have stayed longer in other places and no fearlings have ever found us and neither did Mother Nature."

 _Mother Nature... my daughter... no wonder she hates me..._

And right now he hated himself more than Emily Jane ever could have.

"It's not them, Liz. _I'm_ too dangerous to be around. I can't risk hurting anyone else... let alone you or those nice people..."

Melissa's jaw dropped a bit as she stared up at him in disbelief. His eyes were so bright, so different from how they used to be but he seemed to be in so much pain. She had no idea what he had just been through but she understood that she would not be able to drag him back inside. They were leaving this place without even saying goodbye. It was okay. She liked these people, she liked Leonie and Jean a lot but she knew her priorities well.

"I can't risk hurting anyone else" he had said and Melissa was beginning to understand. He had remembered hurting someone and he was now feeling so very bad about it. But that only told her that he did not want to hurt anyone ever again. It was yet another step in the right direction. She looked up at the crescent moon pleadingly. Why did her dear friend have to suffer so much? And what could she possibly do to help him through this?

The Nightmare King was still looking down at her, taking her in. He couldn't stand the thought of loosing her but this last memory of what he had been capable of truly terrified him. What if it happened again? He had felt so powerless, so helpless... He had not been able to stop this tragedy from happening. Never could he expose Liz to that danger. He had to leave her for her own safety. But where? Not with Émeline and her family. They were wonderful and kind people but they could not take care of her too. Liz had made it clear that she didn't want to go back to Santoff Claussen even though he doubted that anyone there would even give her strange looks. Perhaps he could take her there after all and hopefully the Guardians would put an end to him permanently. He couldn't live with all that guilt, he just couldn't. He would never stop seeing this little girl dying by his own hands.

He barely felt his legs move as he was being led away from where he had been standing. Melissa did not lead him back into the house but a few steps away. Here Felipe had strung up the slain alligator and she drew her dagger. Jean had mentioned that there was no better meat. She had no idea how to prepare it, but she would need food and with Pitch in that kind of state, he would perhaps not be able to find her any. So she pried open the tough skin and cut a few strips of meat from its ribs. She had to let go of the Nightmare King's hand to do so and when she looked around Pitch had fallen to his knees with that vacant expression on his face. He was just staring into space as if he was still somewhere trapped in some nightmare. It worried her deeply but also told her that he would not go anywhere just now.

"Stay put" she whispered and patted his shoulder lightly with her free hand. "I have to give that back" she pointed at the nightdress she was wearing. She didn't feel good about leaving him there like this but what she was going to do would only take a minute.

She was back in the bedroom a moment later where Leonie was still fast asleep without a worry in the world and there was Melissa's underwear too. It had been washed and was still damp but that didn't matter now. She changed as quickly as she could and hurried back into the kitchen. Here she found a clean piece of cloth in which she wrapped her alligator meat. She felt a bit bad for taking something that was not hers, but hopefully they would come back here some day and make it up to those wonderful people. Now however she had to take care of her friend.

Pitch was where she had left him and she could tell that he was still in some sort of shock. She grabbed his arm with her free hand and pulled him to his feet. He followed her lead willingly enough as she dragged him along towards that old ruin down the river. She thought wistfully about Leonie and Jean and all the strange words they had taught her. She knew now that the river's name was Mississippi which sounded funny enough and had made them all laugh. They had had so much fun. It was over now but would always be with her as a happy memory.

Leading the Nightmare King back to the old haunted house was nowhere as hard as pulling that alligator carcass. He was following her without much resistance and they made it back to their not so haunted hideout in good time. Once there, Melissa forced him down on the wooden floor and wrapped her arms around him again, hugging him fiercely.

"I know you would never hurt me, Pitch. Why are you so afraid that you might?" she whispered gently. "You saved my life and … I saved yours too. We are friends, you are the only family I have... please talk to me!"

Pitch was in the darkest place of his own mind, thinking dark thoughts and could not find the light. But he felt her small hands on him, her touch, her warmth against him, her embrace. It somehow soothed him but he knew he did not deserve it. He was bad, evil even. He had always known it and now there was no more denying it now. But her voice was in his ears and he heard every word so clearly.

"Please Pitch, I need you to talk to me!"

 _She needs me... Melissa needs me!_

His eyes focused on his surroundings and he was a bit startled when he recognized where they were. How had they gotten back here? It didn't matter. It made him feel safer. Then he caught sight of her face so close to his and she was indeed hugging him, tightly.

"Liz... I" he stammered and the girl looked up, hopefully. Her face was full of worry but she was trying to smile.

"Please, tell me about your memory" she begged and he instantly tensed again.

 _How can I possibly tell her..._

"I know you remembered hurting someone and I can see you hurting too. I know you'd never harm me or anyone. So please... talk to me about it. I'm here for you."

He stared into her pleading face and felt himself falling apart all over again. He managed to hold the tears back though and nodded instead. He didn't know what else to do, so he told her about his memory. It made him want to throw up again but he tried to leave nothing out. He needed her to understand why he had to let her go.

Melissa listened and felt his terror as if it was her own. But she knew better than to blame him. The memory wasn't her's it was his. While he was right in the middle of it, she was more distanced and could see things with a different clarity.

"That wasn't you" she said gently. "This was the work of the fearlings, I'm sure of it."

He kept staring at her, wondering about the sound of her voice. She was not afraid, even after what he had just confessed to her. He had killed children! And still she was there smiling at him. How could she still smile?

Melissa could tell that he didn't understand a word and took a deep breath. "You just told me how you were not able to do anything to stop it and that means that you wanted to! That memory was yours, not the fearlings' that controlled you. All of this happened a long time ago but even back then, you felt the same way you do now, didn't you?"

She sighed and shrugged before she continued. "I know you don't like hearing this, but I'm sure they were controlling you. They made you do it. And on top of that, they forced you to watch! I even believe that it was not their goal to simply create another fearling, but to torment you! _They_ were evil and dangerous, not you! But the fearlings are gone now, they can't do that to you ever again."

Somewhere deep in his heart he knew that she was telling him the truth. But there was so much fear there too. He was literally afraid of himself, of the fearlings... more than ever before. If they had the power to force him to do something like this...

"Pitch, they are gone" Melissa assured him again. "You are free now. Don't you see?"

 _I'm free... am I? Will I ever be free of that memory?_

He shook his head. He would never forget. But he could not give in to despair. Melissa needed him, she had said so herself. He could not leave her behind and after all he had just heard, he felt a bit better.

"You are right" he sighed weakly. "I'd never hurt you... I love you too much..." And with that he passed out.

Melissa had sat down next to him when he had finally started talking. She was leaning against his shoulder the way she had done several times before. It was a familiar feeling now for them both. But then his weight suddenly slumped down on her, causing her heart to skip a beat. She had heard his last words however and they left a wonderfully warm feeling within her.

She adjusted herself a bit to he new situation and cradled his head in her small lap, stroking away at his wild, soft hair with a loving smile of her own. Her heart was almost bursting with the feeling and could not help but grin broadly as she thought about the Man in the Moon. He had given her quite a task to perform but right now, she thought she was doing great.

Melissa didn't sleep that night. She kept her eyes open and peeled for trouble. But she was not worried about fearlings or other attacks. Her concern was with her sleeping companion and with nightmares but he never showed any signs of troubled sleep and did not stir until about an hour before sunrise.

But Pitch wasn't asleep. All those strange emotions that he had not felt in such a long time had overwhelmed him for a moment, causing his body to shut down for a while. He came too soon after to the stroking sensation of Melissa's hand on his hair. He didn't need to look up or even open his eyes to know that it was her. Instead he lay very still and just soaked it in. Pitch could feel it trigger a new memory of days long forgotten but he did not fight it. He was a bit nervous after his last traumatic experience but he knew that as long as Liz was here with him, he really had nothing to be afraid of.

So only a heartbeat later he found himself looking up into a golden sky. He could smell grass and the earth beneath him, the air was filled with scents and sounds of a warm summer afternoon. When he looked around at a soft sound, there she was smiling down at him. Just for a moment he thought he was looking at his daughter but then he realized that her face looked different. Only her eyes and her hair - it was that girl again, only now she was older and a lot more beautiful. She was practically glowing with life and with happiness. She was lying by his side in the swaying grass, propped up on one elbow and she too had her hand in his hair, stroking, playing with it...

All Pitch could do was stare at her face in awe and wonder. At some point her smile spread into a grin and he heard her voice. "So, Koz... what shall we name her?" She looked down on herself and Pitch nearly gasped when he realized that she was with child. She was in fact very pregnant and looked ready to give birth any moment. A wave of excitement mixed with slight anxiety rushed through him but when he looked back into her eyes he felt safe again. "You are asking me?" he heard himself reply. "Honestly, Sara... I... don't know." She gave his hair a playful tug. "She'll be our little girl... but I want you to name her..."

A moment later the vision faded. Pitch was trying to hold on to it, he didn't want it to end so quickly but there was nothing he could really do. When he opened his eyes he was back with the girl but Melissa was not smiling now. She was looking across the room at the barred window with a thoughtful and slightly nervous frown. One of her hands was still resting softly on his head but had stopped moving, the other one was clasped around his left hand on his chest. He could sense a bit of moonlight flooding in through the slits between the boards but was not sure what was making her nervous. Pitch could feel that she was tense and sitting very still. He sighed and sat up without much of a warning, startling the girl.

"Pitch" she gasped but there was quite a bit of relief in her voice when she saw that tiny smile on his face. "Are you..."

"I'm fine" he said quickly but wasn't really sure about that himself. "What about you? You seem a bit nervous..."

Melissa was not quite sure what to make of his behavior. She understood that he had been really upset earlier and after what he had told her, she had been so worried that he might never get over it. He had been so uncharacteristically emotional too. Now however he seemed back to normal. She nodded over at the window and he followed her gaze. There on one of the dark boards sat a spider. Now Pitch knew that Melissa was not afraid of them but this one was quite large and stood out brightly against the dark wood.

"Does it scare you?" he wondered and the girl shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't mind spiders really but after the stuff you told me in Australia... I don't know what species this is. Do you? Is it dangerous?"

Pitch understood. She wasn't afraid but wary in the face of the unknown. He got to his feet to take a closer look. Just for a moment he felt a bit shaky, but a lot better than earlier. He had not yet accepted his past but he had come to understand that some of the things he had done in the past had never been his wish. And as Melissa had reminded him, the fearlings were gone – hopefully - and he alone was in control of his actions now. Nothing like this would ever happen again. He could not change the past, but perhaps he could prevent such things from happening in the future.

"I don't think it's dangerous" he said after taking a good look at the arachnid. It was quite an impressive specimen and he believed it to be some kind of fishing spider. It would probably be able to bite but it's poison would not be strong enough to put his young friend in danger. "It's quite beautiful to look at, but I think we shouldn't disturb it." Pitch turned back around at her and noticed the look on her face. She still looked a bit anxious, there was clearly something else on her mind.

"We should be getting out of here" the Nightmare King suggested. He could feel that it was close to dawn and he wasn't sure how this family would react to their sudden disappearance.

 _They might even come looking for us..._

Melissa nodded slowly but did not move from the spot. She studied her friend carefully. His eyes were so bright, they were really glowing in the dark now or reflecting the bit of moonlight. He also still looked a bit pale and that worried her even more. What was happening to him? He had changed so much since that day he had brought her into his caves and not just his eyes. His whole personality seemed different and Melissa could hardly remember the last time he had actually scowled or glared at her. She would have to keep an eye on this development, but first, she wanted to talk about something else, something she had been pondering about for the last hour.

Pitch was just about to ask her what was wrong when she decided to speak her mind.

"I've been thinking..." she started and the Nightmare King was instantly all ears. She had that thoughtful and slightly determined look on her face and he could tell that there was something that she wanted very much.

"All this moving from place to place... I mean I like it. I love learning about all those countries and cultures but I couldn't help but notice that travelling through this shadow-realm is getting to you... like when we got here."

Pitch nodded but didn't get her point. "It's no big deal" he promised. "As long as I'm rested and don't have to do it like three times in mere minutes" he gave her a reassuring wink. "But you sound like you have thought of an alternative."

"I have" she confirmed and encouraged by his surprisingly good mood she went right to the point. "So, if you could take us back to my old village we could fix up that boat and use it instead. We would only have to fix the sails. I had to break some of the railing but that won't ail it much."

The Nightmare King gave her a long thoughtful stare. Something in those haunting eyes told her that he didn't like the idea. Or at least not all of it. "I thought about that too" he admitted then. "But what about the wolves?"

She cringed a bit at the mere mention but she had not forgotten about them. "When I lived there, they never came to the village. They avoided it "She murmured thoughtfully. "Since it is abandoned now it seems like they have added it to their territory. But I was hoping we could get the boat fixed and into the air before they even notice we are there. They _do_ scare me, but I'm willing to give it a try. If they show up again, I know you can get us out of there."

Pitch took a step back at the disarming smile she gave him. It told him that she really wanted to do this and he had to admit that abandoning the boat had been troubling him. He wanted it back. It vexed him that it was sitting right there in the open and by now anyone could have taken or plundered it. His personal worst case scenario was that the Guardians had found and taken it.

Melissa was still standing there, watching him expectantly. She didn't understand why he was even hesitating.

"You know" he said suddenly and moved back toward her. "Flying across the skies in a nightmare lifeboat is not exactly hiding. The fearlings would perhaps remain unaware but my daughter... She might actually see that as a challenge. Besides, it will make it quite hard to find you meals."

Melissa's shoulders sagged and she had to admit that he had the bigger brains. She had not really thought of this. But to her Mother Nature was no longer an enemy. She so wished she could tell him.

"But" Pitch went on. "I must admit that I want it back. So if you are really all for it, let's go and fix this thing. It might come in handy at some point and to be honest, it's really rightfully yours."

"Mine?" the girl gasped but Pitch nodded.

"You did all those repairs by yourself in the first place. I never even noticed it was there... right under my nose."

"That doesn't make it mine" she objected. Her friend gave her a surprisingly wide smile.

"Then please accept it as a gift."

For a moment there, Melissa stood gobsmacked, staring at him, unable to believe that he would simply part with this relic of his own past and give it to her like that. But he looked and sounded so sincere and sure about this, she couldn't help but grin back at him. A second later she bent down and picked up her dress that was still laying there. She slipped it on and looked back up at him.

"In that case, let's go get it" she laughed happily.

A minute later they were all packed and ready to leave. They heard voices in the distance. It seemed as if Leonie, Jean and their parents were indeed up and searching for them. "We should hurry" Melissa suggested.

"My thoughts exactly" Pitch agreed. "I'm not in the mood for a long explanation. I'm just sorry that you won't get to taste alligator after all."

"Oh, I will" she laughed and held up her neatly wrapped parcel. "But I stole one of their kitchen towels. Maybe one day we will visit them and I can return it."

Pitch actually laughed at this but then pulled her quickly into the darkest shadow available. "Come here you thieving little sprite" he chuckled and within an instant they were back in the ruined bedroom that had once belonged to Melissa's parents. They remained stock-still for a few moments, both of them listening hard but there was not a sound. It was perfectly silent but also very cold. The place was not as dark as they both remembered it. The piece of black cloth that Melissa had nailed to the window was in shreds and daylight was pouring in but it was gray and bleary and as cold as the air around them.

"Brrr" Melissa shivered when she stepped away from her companion and started to gather the sheets of black canvas she had dragged in here what seemed years ago. It was hard for her to believe that it had only been a bit more than a week but they were right here on the bed where they had left them.

"Where's your poncho?" Pitch asked, wondering why she wasn't wearing it.

"Oh... it's in the bag. It was so warm back there... " the girl stammered and dropped what she was doing. "I had no idea it would be so cold here."

Pitch was already going through their luggage. When he found it and tossed it to her she caught it with a grin and slipped it over her head with a sigh of pure pleasure. "Thanks" she breathed. "That's much better."

He helped her fold the canvas and carry it outside without a word. Only hours ago, she had finally told him that she wanted to make herself some clothing out of this and Pitch smiled inwardly in anticipation. When they stepped outside however they both gasped in unison. It was snowing heavily. The sky was grey with clouds and verything was covered in a thick layer of crisp whiteness. The only thing bare of it was in fact the boat they had come here to find. It stood out in stark contrast to it's surroundings. Pitch was actually a bit surprised and even more relieved that it was still there. It looked as if no one had touched it but then he noticed tracks in the snow. Not those of wolves or other wildlife but human footprints. They were covered with new snow and barely visible now but someone had been here not too long ago.

Melissa however didn't notice. She looked around in wonder and delight as thick flakes tumbled down around her, settling on her hair but not even a bit on her poncho. They landed on it but melted instantly without leaving as much as a wet spot. The carefully wrapped sail she was carrying showed the same properties.

 _Amazing... this stuff is awesome... I have to ask him... I really want something more than this poncho thing. I 'd like something with a hood. My ears are freezing..._

She turned around to her friend who was already heading for the boat and followed him quickly, leaving rather deep tracks in the snow as she did. When she caught up with him, he was already inspecting the damage she had done. He knew her reasons for it and really didn't mind now. He had plenty of material back in his caves to fix all of this. There would be a time to do it, but right now they had to get this thing into the air.

"Do you think we can fix that somehow?" the girl asked as he ran a hand over the broken railing.

"No problem" he nodded. "But for now we will either do without it or we will have to improvise."

She nodded. "Let's do the sails first."

Pitch climbed onto the deck and then pulled her up as well. The moment they were both on the boat the temperature instantly rose to something a lot more comfortable. And then they were hard at work as a team again. Two of the three sails were perfectly intact but since the third one had been torn to shreds by wolf-claws and teeth, Melissa had to measure and cut out a new one from the spare canvas they had brought along.

As they worked the girl told her friend more about her past and her life in this village. "That over there used to be a chapel... a small church. We had a Priest and he taught the older children to read and write. I only had like two or three lessons when the raid happened. And then I just forgot all about it. But you are a way better teacher than him anyway" she rambled on happily.

The Nightmare King listened and nodded every now and then. But at this point he sighed. "We should have brought some more writing material and maybe a book or two. I really want you to learn this. Books are a wonderful thing, you know."

Melissa gave him a mischievous grin. "Because they can teach us magic spells?"

Pitch snorted and looked up at her. She was way up on one of the masts tying the first sail into place while he handed her what she needed. For some reason he could feel a scowl coming. Was she actually hinting at his past battles with the Guardians?

Melissa almost gasped when she saw that expression on his face. She had to admit that she had missed that a little but perhaps her remark had been really uncalled for. She smiled down at him a bit more amiable. "I'm sorry" she apologized. "But what other books are there? I've heard about the good book that our Priest used in the sermon but my family never had any. The only other books I have ever seen were in Ombric's library."

The Nightmare King's scowl vanished almost instantly as he took that in. "Has your mother never read you a bedtime story?" he wondered and then almost yelped when Melissa tried to shrug and almost lost her hold on the mast. She didn't fall though. Her reflexes saved her and she held on with an embarrassed glow on her face. But she recovered quickly and continued fastening the sail.

"She didn't read to me but she told me stories, or my father did. We never had a book but my mom wrote one."

"Indeed?" Pitch gasped in wonder.

"Well... She kept a journal. She used to sit at the kitchen table every night after supper and wrote down what happened during the day. My father didn't like it much but she did and he let her."

"Your mother was a shrewd woman for sure" he sighed and held out his arms as Melissa slid down the short mast just in case.

"I just had another idea!" the girl breathed when her feet hit the deck. "I am sure I remember where my mother hid her journal and her writing stuff. Maybe it is still there. Those Cossacks didn't find everything. We always hid our treasures beneath loose floorboards. Let me go and check! If I can find it, I can use it to learn!"

Pitch gaped at her for a moment but then his smile was back on. This child was amazing. She wanted to learn. She really wanted him to teach her. Then his smile wavered as he heard far off howling.

Melissa instantly stiffened.

"They are far away, Liz. Go and look for your mother's journal. I'll be here and see what I can do about that railing."

She could also tell that the wolves were not close by. She had heard them howling often when she had been a child here, but back then, she had not been afraid. Now she was nervous and tense but she knew there was no immediate danger. She nodded and hopped off the boat to search the house for her late mother's secret stash.

Both of them had no idea that the footprints Pitch had noticed around the boat belonged to none other than Ombric. The old wizard had been curious about that dark vessel the moment he had first seen it, and since he knew where it was now, he had come to take a closer look. He had walked around it, touched it and had come to understand it's magic. It was magnificent indeed. It would protect anyone on board and provide it's passenger's needs. But he did not take it or change a thing about it. It was not his, he didn't even know how to navigate it. He had however seen Melissa fly this boat like a true master. It was her's now and he did not not even think about stealing from her.

He had returned to Big Root and had told Katherine all about it. And since then the auburn-haired girl could not get it out of her mind. She was longing to talk to Melissa and she knew that one day her friend would return to that deserted village to take it. Perhaps she could go there too, it was not so far away. Kailash could take her there and she could leave a note for her friend. That fixed idea had been brewing inside her mind for hours until she finally decided to just do it.

The moment was perfect, everyone – even Nightlight was away at Punjam Hy Loo to help build Queen Toothiana's magnificent palace. She had been at the construction site earlier but had returned here via egg train since there had been little she could be helpful with. She could not do magic like Ombric or grow extra arms like Bunnymund and she certainly was not as physically strong as North.

She climbed up into her nest in the high branches of Big Root and whistled for her dear snow goose. Kailash was there within two minutes and within another they were in the air.

Melissa was rummaging around her old home again. She had searched the ruins before but this time, without the fear for her friend gnawing away at her, she could do so more thoroughly. And she really did find a few more things but not all of them were useful. She came upon her father's secret stash of vodka which she had no interest in whatsoever, some odd drawings that looked like the first attempt at a map. A few baubles that she recognized, family heirlooms of little worldly value but she took them anyway and finally she found what she had been looking for.

There was her mother's diary. In fact there were dozens of them. They were all quite thin and Melissa flipped through them. Most of them were filled with text but a few were still blank. Along with them she found an assortment of pencils, real pencils!

"Awesome" she sighed before she picked everything up and looked around. She was back in the bedroom and had actually moved the bed in order to lift that particular board. There beneath the broken window sat her father's tool box. Right where she had left it and she knew it would come in useful. So she grabbed it as well and with her arms full she made her way back to the front door.

"Pitch!" she called out happily when she stepped back out into the snow. "Look what I found!"

She gaped up at the boat and saw her friend standing there as if frozen. He was not looking at her but at a spot beneath the first trees at the edge of the village, the one the wolves had come from and he looked shocked, almost frightened.

Melissa dropped her treasures into the snow and whirled around drawing her dagger, expecting a wild hungry pack to come at her. But there were no wolves, only a solitary human girl, standing just at the edge of the forest, staring at Pitch and then at her. She would have recognized that auburn hair anywhere.

"Kat!" she gasped and lowered her weapon.


	23. Chapter 23

Katherine had circled the village twice but had not noticed anything out of the ordinary through the falling snow. Everything was white except for the one object she had come here to see. But even the nightmare boat was only visible as a dark blur from above. She had landed a little way outside the village and hidden Kailash a bit deeper in the woods before approaching the place on foot. Soon she caught sight of the dark boat but was not at all prepared to see the Nightmare King himself standing on its deck. He was holding something that looked like extra sail up, as if measuring it by sight and then looked up at the masts where another sail was already fluttering in the breeze.

It even took her a moment to recognize him through the swirling snow. But when she did she instantly stopped moving. In fact she stood as still as if she had frozen to the spot. "Pitch" she nearly squeaked in a strange mix of horror and relief. Somehow it was good to see him alive and well.

The Nightmare King had keen ears and had turned around in alarm at the unexpected sound. And for what felt like minutes they both stared at one another, shocked and uneasy. Katherine was not sure whether to be scared or not and Pitch was simply stunned to see the young Guardian girl. He had no idea how to feel but still staggered back a few steps until he found some support by holding on to the mast.

At this exact moment, Melissa came bouncing out of the house in high spirits calling out to him and this was the situation she suddenly found herself in. She recognized Katherine but was not sure how to act. She had no idea what the girl thought of her. Melissa really wanted to still be friends with her but she was Pitch's friend too. And the Nightmare King didn't look too thrilled to see the girl he had held hostage and had kept trapped in seemingly eternal nightmares.

"Liz!" they both heard Katherine's voice through the silence of the falling snow, even though she had barely whispered.

Neither of them knew what to do, not even Pitch. He had no idea why that girl was here, couldn't figure out how she had gotten here but most of all he was wondering where the others were. Surely the child had not come here alone. He thought about the footprints again, the tracks in the snow. Someone had been here, someone had looked at the boat and had left again. Was it a trap? Had the Guardians been lying in wait here, knowing that they would show up to retrieve their property? But then why was Katherine just standing there? Was she to lure Liz away so that the rest of them could attack him without getting her involved?

He was still staring at the Guardian girl but at that thought he dared to avert his eyes and look over at his young friend. Melissa seemed fairly frightened but she was bending down slowly to pick up the things she had brought from the house and then backed away towards him sowly and very carefully.

Katherine was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was facing the Nightmare King yet again. She was not quite as frightened as she had been in Punjam Hy Loo after his army of monkeys had kidnapped her but she was very nervous.

Seeing Melissa however was elating. She so wanted to talk to her, this might be her chance! The fact that not only her friend but Pitch as well looked as shocked as she felt told her that she had really surprised them, startled them even and now Pitch seemed almost afraid. It reminded her of the incident on the moon. It did not make her any less nervous but she felt a bit braver.

When she noticed Melissa backing away from her however, she forgot all about being afraid. She could not let this one chance slip away. "Liz!" she called out and rushed a few steps foward. "Please wait. I... I have to talk to you!"

The dark-haired girl stopped but she was already beside the boat. She glanced back at Katherine and then up at Pitch, still not sure what to do. The Nightmare King seemed to have overcome his moment of fright and took a step forward addressing the new arrival.

"Who else is here?" he demanded and Melissa raised an eyebrow at the harsh sound of his voice. She hadn't heard that tone there in a while.

"No one" Katherine admitted and became only now aware of the fact that she was indeed alone. Everyone was back in Punjam Hy Loo, no one would notice she was missing. And her dear snow goose could not help her if Pitch decided to attack. As large as she was, Kailash was still quite young and not much of a fighter.

He was still staring at her, calculating, pondering. But he could not sense any kind of deception in the child's voice. It seemed that she was speaking the truth.

"Then tell me... why are you here?" he asked. His voice was still cold but not as threatening as before.

"I... I... wanted to look at… that boat." Katherine stammered and shrunk a bit under the Nightmare King's piercing stare. There was something odd about it though. His eyes looked different somehow... brighter.

"Ombric came to check it out just yesterday. He told me about it but I was still curious... I wanted to see for myself..."

 _The wizard... so he left the footprints in the snow..._

Pitch actually managed a smug little smile at the guilt in her meek little voice. "Ah, curiosity..." he sighed then and shook his head. The girl had had no idea that he would be here. So it was not a trap after all but mere coincidence.

He smiled down at Melissa, who looked up at him with a rather doubtful expression. He bent down to her and reached out. The girl attempted to take his hand and let him help her onto the deck but Pitch's smile widened. "Just hand me that stuff" he suggested. "I believe your friend wants a word with you. Why don't you go talk to her while I finish up here."

Melissa stared at him.

 _Did he really just say that?_

"I'm serious" he assured her. "I know you must be dying to talk to her too. Go on, this is your chance to clear things up."

 _He's right..._ Melissa realized. This really was her chance to talk to Kat and find out if she was really still her friend. She looked up at him thoughtfully but finally she handed him the journals, pencils and the small tool box.

"Are you really sure about this?" she asked just to be on the safe side. He nodded however and actually gave her a little shove. It was playful enough to make her smile again. When she turned around she knew that Katherine had moved to the side just a bit to get a better look. Katherine could only marvel at what she was seeing but when Melissa turned around and came her way she too found a matching smile coming.

Liz stopped just a few steps before the other girl and for a moment they just grinned bashfully at each other. Then they both started talking at the same time.

"Are we still friends?" Melissa wanted to know.

"We are all so worried about you... how are you..." Katherine stopped and started giggling. "Of course we are still friends. But tell me what's going on. I mean the Elephant told us a really wild story and..."

"I don't think that he would lie to you" was Melissa's shrugging reply.

The auburn-haired girl sighed and suddenly stared down at her feet with a guilty expression. "When I saw you at the Moon, I really thought for a moment that you had changed sides" she admitted. "I still don't understand what you are doing or why you are doing it but to be honest... I appreciate it. I'm glad you saved him... we all are."

All of that caught Melissa by surprise. "You are? Wait... you don't? Understand I mean."

Katherine nodded wildly but then quickly shook her head and Liz realized that she had a lot of explaining to do.

"Well, maybe it seemed like a weird decision at the time, but I was actually thinking about you when I made it. I thought 'What would Katherine do'" the dark-haired girl explained. "And to be quite frank with you, Kat, I don't regret a second of it. Not one bit." She sounded quite fierce and determined.

Katherine stared at her but then a bright smile spread across her face. "So Manny really gave you your voice back! I can't believe that I only just noticed. The Elephant told us..."

"Manny?" Liz interrupted her with a curious expression.

"The Man in the Moon" her friend explained. "He told us to call him Manny."

Melissa nodded thoughtfully. _Manny... that sounds kind of nice..._

"What is he like?" she asked then.

"He's great, he's..." Katherine's head dropped again and there was a strangely sad look on her face. "Liz, he was so crushed when that stupid automatic cannon went off. He couldn't do anything to stop it. You should have seen his face, the poor man was totally crestfallen. We all thought Pitch was done for!"

She looked over her friend's shoulder and at the boat. Pitch was actually up on one of the masts fastening the last sail.

He had watched them and listened to their conversation for perhaps a minute but had then gotten back to the task at hand. Soon he wasn't eavesdropping anymore and his thoughts went back to those two most recent memories. The first one had nearly crushed his will to live. He wondered what he would have done if Melissa hadn't been there for him.

And then that other memory had come to him. The one short and beautiful memory of his wife – he knew that now. It had brought him so close to what he wanted to know most of all. But instead of his daughter's name he had remembered her's – Sara. And she had wanted him to chose the name for their little girl.

He allowed himself to dwell on that memory and let the happiness he had felt fill him up. He remembered the vision in such detail. He slipped and almost fell down onto the deck from his perch when he remembered something else. His beautiful Sara had called him by a name he was not at all familiar with.

He dangled from the mast like a banneret in a breeze for a moment until he got a firm grip again and pulled himself back up.

"Pitch! Are you alright up there?" Melissa's voice called from across the square. She sounded fairly alarmed. Both girls had turned around at the odd sound and were now staring at him with worried faces.

"Just fine" he assured them but noticed that tiny smirk on Katherine's face. For a moment he could feel a scowl coming but he shook it off and smiled instead, determined to not let this little slip up ruin his good spirits.

 _Let them laugh... I probably looked ridiculous enough..._

He finished quickly what he had been doing and could feel the breeze tugging at the sails, the boat began to move slightly. Pitch actually let himself drop down now but the masts were short and the fall not really deep. Somewhere behind him he could hear Melissa berating her friend.

"Will you stop laughing! He could have hurt himself!"

It almost made him chuckle but then he was at the controls and a moment later the boat was hovering in place just an inch above the ground. He looked around for anything else to do but then just sat down and focused on that memory again.

 _Right, she called me Koz... what the hell kind of a name is that?_

Pitch made himself a bit more comfortable, ignoring the two girls and their conversation and wondered. Had he once been known by a different name? Could that really be? Or had Sara perhaps given him some sort of nickname? He closed his eyes, hoping that his thoughts would perhaps trigger another memory but it just wouldn't work. No matter how hard he tried, no new vision came to him. He could feel his bad temper pushing away the good mood he had been in but then the howling of the wolf pack distracted him.

He was back on his feet in an instant and looked around for Melissa. Both girls were still there, looking worried but not scared yet. It sounded like the pack had come much closer, but not yet close enough to be alarmed. It was beginning to get dark though and he knew they should get going and that other girl too. How had she gotten here anyway?

Melissa had started to tell her friend the whole story from the moment they had both been whisked away by Mother Nature and Katherine's face had changed color quite a few times. She had just been telling her about the night they had spent in Pitch's observatory when the howling started. It still didn't sound too close but she looked over at the Nightmare King who was standing at the railing watching them. He looked ready to leave and the boat did too.

"Don't worry, Liz" Katherine told her. "You know that wolves usually don't attack people."

"Tell that to the pack that attacked us right here the other night" she sighed. She really wanted to tell her friend the rest of what had happened and she wanted to hear more from her as well. Mostly she wanted to know what the Guardians were doing. Were they perhaps planning anything regarding her strange friend? But she knew that it was about time to leave. It made her wonder how Kat was going to get home.

"How did you get here?" she asked curiously.

"On Kailash of course" Katherine was laughing but she had barely mentioned the giant snow goose when there was a commotion of mad, terrified honking and the rustling of branches and large wings. A moment later the goose burst through the trees and instantly took to the air. For a moment both girls just gaped open mouthed and Pitch was properly taken aback when the enormous bird nearly grazed the sails as she flew away, escaping...

And only a second later they heard excited yelps and panting from the woods behind them. Both children turned in horror and could already see the shaggy dark shapes moving beneath the firs. They were coming closer very quickly.

Katherine turned and ran, screaming for Kailash to come back. Then Melissa was beside her "Come on!" she yelled, trying to drag her friend along towards the boat – towards Pitch. But Kat was pulling against her. No matter what she had just heard, she didn't want to be anywhere closer to the Nightmare King than she already was.

Pitch had seen it happen and for a moment he was frozen in shock and not sure what to do. Then however he started yelling too. "Liz! Liz, get over here!" At the same time he was already at the ropes and levers, yanking the craft around to follow the two panicking girls. Katherine was trying to get away from him and Liz finally let go of her and made a dash for the approaching boat. The wolves were following Katherine, who was still running and screaming, drawing their attention even more.

A moment later Melissa was on bord and Pitch handed her the ropes. "Follow her, quickly!" he ordered and the girl didn't question him for a second. The boat raced low across the village square, picking up speed. Only moments later it had caught up with the fleeing girl and before Katherine could even realize what was happening she was being grabbed by the upper arm and pulled out of harms way none too gently this time. Pitch could hardly believe what he was doing but he would not allow Melissa to see someone else being torn to pieces by those deranged beasts. He yanked the girl up into his arms and then released her onto the deck.

"You got her!" Liz cried in relief and then pulled at the ropes to gain altitude. And they had to gain it quickly because they were racing hard towards the trees. But then the sails were up and so were they, only just skimming the treetops. The sounds of frustrated yelping and howling was slowly fading away in the distance.

Katherine had crawled away from Pitch and into the furthest corner. She too could not believe what had just happened. Her friend was adjusting the ropes to the mast, bringing the boat to a hover before slumping down onto the deck with a sigh. "That was way too close..."

Pitch however was ranting. "What on earth is wrong with those beasts? Wolves don't behave like that! They are supposed to avoid humans! What has gotten into them and why is this crap always happening to us?" When he had to take a breath he finally remembered that he was not alone. He looked from one child to the other with guilt practically plastered onto his face. Katherine looked scared but he couldn't blame her. Liz just looked relieved, she was smiling at him.

"Are you two alright?" he asked a lot more gently as he lowered himself onto the deck next to his young friend. She nodded.

"You... saved me!" Katherine gasped as the truth finally sunk in. She was staring at him as if she had never seen him before.

Pitch graced her with a smirk. "Don't get used to it. Because I am getting way too used to saving kids from wild beasts for my taste." He sounded genuinely annoyed but that odd grin was still in place. Melissa simply smiled. She knew him well enough by now and could tell that he was actually quite proud of himself.

Katherine needed a few moments to fully realize that the Nightmare King had just saved her from a most gruesome end but then, after all she had just heard from Melissa, she wasn't really that surprised anymore. And when she saw those two sitting side by side with equally exhausted but happy faces she could only smile. Suddenly she felt silly for hiding in that far corner of the strange boat. She shook her head at her own behavior and decided to just get it over with. She scrambled to her feet and approached them both. This was what she had always hoped for, it was her and Nightlight's dream coming true.

Melissa had been watching her curiously but Pitch looked quite baffled when Katherine suddenly came forward and stopped right in front of him. "Thank you, Pitch" she said simply but with a sincere and grateful smile. "I guess I owe you one."

He shook his head partly in disbelief, partly because she was wrong. "You don't owe me a thing. But maybe we are even."

The auburn-haired girl looked puzzled for a moment but then she understood. Before she could say anything else however they were again interrupted by Kailash's frantic honking.

The frightened goose had fled from the ravenous pack but a few minutes later it had dawned on the creature that she had abandoned Katherine. Now she was hurrying back to the place where she had last seen the girl.

Katherine was at the railing in an instant calling and waving. The goose was wary of the strange and suspicious dark thing but when she heard Katherine's voice calling for her she approached and started circling them honking continuously.

"That's my ride" the girl said as if apologizing for something. "I'd really like to talk more but I should get going. It's almost dark and the others might be worried." She had one foot already on the railing when Pitch jumped into action.

"Are you out of your mind?" he gasped and pulled the girl back onto the deck by the folds of her coat. "How can you be so careless? It's dangerous!" he scolded her and then rolled his eyes at the racket Kailash was making. "Look, girl. You can't just jump off a flying craft like that. What if you miss? What if you loose balance?"

"But..." Katherine tried to object.

"No" Pitch told her firmly. "Tell that noisy fowl to follow. We'll find a safe place to land."

Katherine didn't know what to say but then did as she was told. Melissa was already at the ropes and their airship started to move again. Soon they were soaring along swiftly with Kailash flying beside them. Now that the bird was silent, the Nightmare King could not help but admire the impressively large creature. It flew smoothly alongside them, its long elegant neck moving slightly up and down with every beat of the majestic wings.

Melissa was steering the boat, showing her friend how it was done. Katherine had asked what Pitch had meant with him getting used to saving kids from wild beasts and Liz was now quite happily telling her about the alligator and the two children in New Orleans. The auburn-haired girl had no idea what an alligator was and her friend tried to describe the creature to her.

"I'm sure Ombric can show me a picture of one in one of his books" said Katherine but could not help but look back and forth between Liz and the Nightmare King, who was leaning against the railing, staring off into the distance with a thoughtful expression.

"You are going back to Santoff Claussen" Melissa reckoned. She had been wondering whether her friend had moved along with North to his new city at the pole.

Kat nodded. "I wish you'd come back home with me, Liz. Everyone would be so glad to see you."

 _Back home..._

Melissa was not sure what to say at first, not without offending or hurting either of her friends. But she changed course slightly. She would get her friend as close to the wonderful village as she dared. She could not see Pitch's face clearly, only from the side but he looked tense and perhaps even a bit frightened.

"Sorry Kat" she said then and smiled. "But... I _am_ home."

"What, up here?" Katherine gasped and Melissa actually giggled silently at the silly question.

"Not exactly. More like... wherever he is." She nodded vaguely in Pitch's direction and was pleased to see him relax again. There was a small but rather touched smile on his face.

Katherine had not missed any of this and it told her more about Liz and her friend's unlikely companion than words ever could have. "I knew you'd say that. And I'm glad for both of you." Then she actually turned around and joined Pitch. "You know, I really like your new robe. I always thought the other one was a bit... too much. This one suits you much better."

The Nightmare King graced her with an almost mischievous grin. "Tell that to Liz. She made it."

"Seriously?" Katherine was quite impressed but she returned the grin. "And I like that smile on your face even better, it also suits you."

"Tell that to Liz too, she taught me..." Pitch admitted but didn't look at her. Somehow he felt a bit embarrassed.

Katherine's grin wavered a bit. She studied him with a thoughtful expression. "What will you do now? I mean now that there are no more fearlings around..."

"We don't know if they are really gone. I'd prefer to play it safe and avoid unpleasant encounters with them" he told her. His voice had become a bit harder. Obviously the mere mention of those shadows put him on edge.

"There are no more fearlings" Katherine assured him and told him that they were rebuilding Toothiana's home in Punjam Hy Loo. The flying Elephant was helping as well but the creature had kept checking for any fresh memories that might be related to the . There were none whatsoever. "The Elephant is sure of it and neither Tooth nor Sandy have seen any on their nightly rounds."

Those news surprised Pitch a bit. Not because no one had seen any of those devilish shadows, but because of the fact that they had actually been looking for them. "Are you sure?" he asked however, just to be extra careful. In spite of what had just ocurred, he had no intentions to trust a Guardian, even if it was just a kid.

"I am absolutely positive!" the girl said decidedly.

"That's great news" Melissa sighed. "One thing less to run from..."

Katherine looked around at her. "What else could you possibly be running from?"

Her friend shrugged but it was Pitch who answered. "The other Guardians, Mother Nature..."

"Then you have really nothing to worry about, Pitch" the auburn-haired girl assured him. "The Guardians will not bother you on orders from Manny himself and Mother Nature..." she bit her lip when she noticed Melissa's wide eyes. She had nearly blabbed.

Mother Nature had indeed stopped by Stantoff Claussen the very next day after she had dropped them all off there. And she had told them a bit about her conversation with Melissa. She had also mentioned that Pitch could not know about her decision just yet.

"What about her?" the Nightmare King pressed on but the girl just shrugged. "We talked to her... back in Punjam Hy Loo after we fought those fearlings that were still around the temple. Or rather she did. She didn't give us much of a chance to do any real damage. She blasted them to bits."

Pitch's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he heard that. They grew that big. His mouth fell open, he wanted to say something but Katherine was still talking.

"She helped us... or rather you out. She said she did it because the Man in the Moon himself had been interfering. But I don't believe that. I think she's been spouting a load of nonsense because she's to proud to admit how much she actually cares. Nightlight thinks so too by the way... I remember hearing him tell her that right to her face."

Once again, Pitch was totally lost for words. He only gaped at Katherine and had no idea what to do. He didn't even know what to think.

 _But she told me to get rid of Liz... she wants me to be alone and suffer and I probably deserve that too... and yet - she saved me at least once. Perhaps she would not kill me... but what about Liz?_

"Really Pitch" Katherine said quite gently. "You don't need to be so worried about her. Even as powerful as she is, she will not go against Manny. She respects him."

"But... Lunar... the Man in the Moon..." Pitch shook himself out of his stupor. "Why would he? I mean, it just makes no sense!"

Katherine glanced over at her dark-haired friend and then back up into the Nightmare King's strange eyes. Even they looked so different. Everything about him was different. He seemed like a completely different person and not one bit like the monster they had all taken him for.

 _So what goes around really comes around. As long as we fought him - as long as we treated him like a monster, he was one. But Melissa never did that. She saw something more in him and acted on it. And look what happened..._

"I'm not sure but... maybe he sees how much you mean to Liz. She's lost one family already. I don't think he would want her to loose another."

Melissa beamed at her friend. To her it had been Katherine, who had first set her on the path she was on now. All Manny had done was give her a little courage and faith in herself. At least unitl the incident at the temple where he had so boldly interferred. But she now also understood that this had been his way of apologizing for what had happened on the moon.

Pitch was still staring at Katherine's rosy face and could not really believe this. It was a bit too much, even for him no matter how different he felt nowadays. Even the fact that he was having this conversation seemed somewhat surreal.

Alongside them, Kailash let out a rather loud honk – only one though and both Katherine and Pitch looked around. Below them was the vast Siberian tundra and they were flying low and more slowly. Pitch gasped. By his estimation, they were less than three miles away from Santoff Claussen.

Katherine too was gasping but for other reasons. The view of the snow covered landscape below had triggered a memory. One of her tiny self, huddled in a sleigh, wrapped in furs and snowflakes all around her. But she saw the outlines of her parents through the storm. They walked beside her but she felt cold and hungry and she started to cry. Instantly those two kind faces were right there before her eyes. Soft, mitten-covered hands wiped away her tears and their loving voices told her that everything would be alright. Her mother handed her a small strip of dried vension to chew on. Then their faces disappeared from her line of sight and the sleigh started moving again. The storm turned into a blizzard.

"Kat? Are you alright?"

"Hey, girl. Snap out of it!"

Two concerned voices pulled her back into reality. Katherine blinked a few times until Pitch's and Melissa's faces came into focus. They had landed and Kailash pushed through between them and started nudging her with her large beak. She realized that she was still standing there, grasping the railing of that dark boat but they were on the ground now and everyone was only waiting for her to disembark.

Pitch and Liz were both looking up at her from the snow covered ground and she gaped back at their slightly worried faces. Kailash was still pecking her.

"Ugh... stop it" Katherine gasped and gently pushed her feathered friend away. She looked down at her human friend and her odd companion and found her smile again. It was wider than ever and she hopped over the railing and the moment her feet touched the ground she practically flew at Pitch almost crushing him in a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you soooo much!" she was almost crying and startling the Nightmare King to no ends.

"What in the realms of darkness..." he gasped as the girl clung to him. His hands were up and ready to defend but an instant later they came down on Katherine's fur covered shoulders and he gently pushed her away. "What the heck was that for?" He tried to sound angry but couldn't do it.

"My memories!" Katherine gasped, trying to catch her breath as well. "For asking the Elephant to give them back to me. I didn't have such a clear one until now. I just saw my parents!" She nearly stumbled over her own words in her excitement but she was smiling widely right in the Nightmare King's face. It slowly dawned on him what Katherine's perfectly shocking behaviour was all about. A moment later he had pulled himself together, shrugged and tried very hard to keep up an expression of indifference. But since he was practically bursting with positive emotions, it did not nearly turn out as intended.

"You are very welcome" he said as gracefully as he could but Katherine was already hugging Melissa. "I wish we could talk more but I really should get back home." She held her baffled friend at an arms length and smiled warmly. "Take good care of each other. I really want to see you again... both of you... soon."

"I... we will" Melissa stammered but was still a bit overwhelmed. "You too... take care... I mean..." But Katherine was already mounting Kailash and with one last wave and a smile they were taking off into the air, flying home to Santoff Claussen.

"Wow" Pitch breathed as he watched her flying of into the night. "That was so weird..."

"Not uncalled for though" Melissa added thoughtfully stepping up beside him. "You really asked the Elephant to unlock her memory too?"

He looked down at her and nodded blankly. "Guess I forgot to tell you about that bit."

Liz nodded but didn't mind. She had finally met Katherine again and from what they had just learned, they really had nothing to worry about, nothing to be afraid of.

"Can we go home now?" she dared to ask and Pitch smiled again. He had been thinking just the same thing.

"It's a long way on the boat" he reminded her.

"My alligator meat will spoil" she moaned. And she was so very hungry now.

"Let's get going. We can land by the woods and find some firewood. You can roast that meat while we are traveling."

"On the boat?" she gasped. "Isn't that dangerous? What if it catches fire?"

"It won't" Pitch assured her. "It's not made of wood but metal. It won't burn. We'll just have to be careful with the sails and not let the flames get too big."

A minute later they too were back in the air and heading back they way they had come. Pitch had suggested to just land so that he could go and find her some food but Melissa wanted to try that exotic meat and she was quite adamant about it. Her determination made him grin, especially when he thought back at her expression when she had first looked at noodles. Now however she was eager for anything new and the idea of cooking that exotic meat by herself made her near giddy with excitement.

They didn't go far. As soon as there were trees in sight Melissa landed the small craft and dashed off to find wood for the fire while Pitch stayed on the boat waiting for her and he grew quite anxious again the moment she was out of his sight. He didn't have to wait long though. Melissa was back within less than ten minutes with an arm full of wet and partly frozen wood.

"It will take forever to dry" she whined. "It's soaking..."

"Don't worry" Pitch hauled her and the wood back on board and then pointed at the pile of wood at her feet. The temperature increased dramatically and moments later the air around them was smoldering. But Melissa's poncho and Pitch's robe protected them from the heat. It only lasted a few minutes and when the temperature dropped again the wood was perfectly dry.

The girl could hardly believe it and could only shake her head. The properties of this little ship reminded her more and more of Big Root. It really was as if it could read their minds and could provide them with whatever they needed. "I love this boat" she sighed and went back to the ropes. Pitch however stopped her.

"Let me do that" he suggested. "See if you can get a fire started and prepare your alligator."

Melissa nodded and soon they were back in the air. Pitch was steering now while the girl was trying to prepare her meal. She had started a fire without much difficulty but now she realized that she had no spices, not even salt to give that strange meat any taste. This annoyed her a bit but there was nothing much she could do about it.

The Nightmare King noticed the look on her face but said nothing. Instead he kept watching her as she skewered the meat on two thin sticks that she had smoothed and sharpened with her dagger. He realized that she hadn't taken much of it, only just enough for a rather scarce meal. Pitch smiled inwardly. That family back in Louisiana would be eating well for a while.

When Katherine and Kailash landed in front of Big Root only minutes after she had left Melissa and Pitch, she did so with a thoughtful look on her face. She was not really sure how to deliver the news. She had told so many stories and she knew she was good at it. But this one was special and she wanted to let it settle first, or rather write it down to tell it later. The girl looked at her nest high up in the branches of the wonderful magic tree.

Perhaps she could sneak up there without anyone noticing. She turned back to Kailash but the goose had waddled off to find herself some supper. Katherine sighed and approached the tree on foot. She had not even taken three steps when the door of Big Root flew open and Nightlight came dashing out of it.

Katherine almost jumped out of her skin but the spectral boy was just as stunned to see her. But his expression relaxed in an instant. "Katherine" he sighed. "Where were you? I was just about to fly off to find you."

The girl looked at him and then at her feet. "I... was just on a little flight around..." she started when Ombric appeared in the door, followed by North.

"Ahhh, there she is!" Nicholas smiled with a tone of triumph. "I told you there was nothing to worry about. Katherine wouldn't get herself into trouble without us knowing about it."

She turned bright red at this. She appreciated North's trust in her but knew at the same time that she had probably disappointed him today. It made her feel both guilty and embarrassed.

"Actually..." she muttered. "I did."

For a few moments no one said anything. Her friends were just looking curiously at her and she knew that she would have to get it over with now. "Katherine" Nightlight said softly. "What happened?"

With a deep sigh she stepped past him and towards the door. "Long story" she admitted. "I almost became part of the food chain."

Even North frowned at those alarming news but he and Ombric stepped aside to let her and Nightlight enter. Katherine made straight for the kitchen and started to prepare a pot of tea. Her friends had followed her silently and when they had all sat down around the table Katherine looked at them in turn.

"It's really quite a story" she started. "I went to that village because I wanted to see that boat there for myself. And guys, you won't believe what happened."


	24. Chapter 24

If the Man in the Moon had witnessed any of this day's events, he would have been tremendously pleased. But Manny remained unaware of the goings on in the world. His friends in Santoff Claussen had brought him so many wonderful presents that he had been quite busy looking at all of them more closely. He had tried out some of the mechanical devices his new friends had invented for him and found great amusement playing with his toys. Qute a few of them however were indeed quite useful, like for excample the extendable back-scratcher old William had given him.

Bunnymund had brought him not only a small basket full of incredibly delicious chocolate eggs, but had also left a few members of his warrior-egg-army behind on the moon. The little guys were mostly just bouncing around playing with the moon mice, who truly enjoyed the new company as well, but they were also quite handy when it came to fixing or in fact breaking things.

Manny could not help but marvel at the small egg-soldiers' strength and speed when it came to digging new holes for the mice - right through the metal-plated floors of the former moon clipper. And watching this had given the young Tsar an idea.

He still felt awful when he thought about the automatic cannon nearly putting an end to the Nightmare King, and the fact that he could not get to them was frustrating. Now however, he had set Bunnymund's little egg-fellows to the task of breaking through those walls.

Progress was slow but steady and Manny enjoyed watching them work while his moonbots and the mice were busy carrying the rabble away. Another present he cherished very much, was a willow flute which Sascha had carved for him. Manny had never had a musical instrument and he practised hard to master it. So while the eggs and bots and mice worked, he entertained them with new melodies and tunes of his own invention.

And just when Katherine was making her way to the abandoned village, Manny was squeezing through the hole in the wall and into an area of the moon-clipper he had never entered before.

The room he now stood in was littered with bits of broken machinery and instruments he had no idea how to use, but Manny was pretty sure, that this must have been part of the cockpit. Thick layers of dust covered everything and the silence was almost eerie. The moonbots and mice were peeping through the hole, but none of them dared to make a sound while Manny looked around, leaving footprints in the silvery dust.

The outer wall had once been translucent but now it was blackened, and so were the walls and every surface that was ot covered with dust. It made him think of what Nightlight had told him. There had been a devastating explosion. The fact that the moon itself had not been blasted to bits was a miracle in itself. It had been believed that the fight between Nightlight and Pitch had caused it but now Manny new better. The explosion had happened somewhere inside the moon clipper, probably the power unit or something alike had been damaged in the battle and had malfunctioned.

Lost in thoughts, Manny made his way deeper into uncharted territory. A door which had been blasted out of it's frame, led to another room which looked mostly like the first one, except for the fact that there was no wall left on one side.

When he looked to his left - the side opposite of the grimy windows - all he could see behind the rabble on the floor was a black hole. The sight gave Manny slight goosebumps. Somewhere down there in the core of what had once been a magnificent spaceship had to be the source of the explosion. The very walls around him told him as much. The heat and fire had emanated from there, had blasted walls out of its way and had roasted the last planet they had passed. Every bit of water had evaporated on the surface and even today the planet still had a reddish color, as if it had a sunburn.

He quickly walked on to the next room where the destruction became even more apparent. Here even the thick translucent walls to the outside had been broken and a bit of wind blew through the ruins, causing the dust to swirl around on the surfaces. The black walls had partially melted and were now uneven with solidified bubbles. Manny hastened on through several other small rooms, not wanting to see any more of this devastation. But as he went from chamber to adjoining chamber the signs of destruction grew less again and finally he found, what he had been looking for.

The automatic cannons were outside on the moons surface, but the controls where right here before him. They too were covered in patches of soot but he could see no further damage. Chances that they still worked were slim however, but since the cannons themselves functioned without fail...

Manny pulled a handkerchief from one of his pockets and started wiping some of the dirt away. Bit by bit details of the control board became visible and then, to his utmost surprise a small blinking light appeared right under his hands. He felt his hopes rising and worked more quickly. Soon the desk was clean and all the controls, buttons and levers clearly visible. But Manny still had to figure out how to work them.

The young Tsar looked around. Perhaps there was a manual somewhere. Apart from the control desk and two installed seats the only piece of furniture was a long cabinet along the wall. It looked promising enough but when he tried to open one of the tall drawers, he found it locked or perhaps stuck. He checked some of the others without success and came to the conclusion that the material must have bent and warped over the years; or perhaps the heat from the explosion had done it but none of drawers and doors would open.

He would have to figure the controls out the hard way. That fact didn't sit well with him at all and instead of tackling the task head on, he wandered around the room, thinking hard. His eyes lingered on the door to the next room - they seemed to go on and on. But unlike the others he had passed, this one was still intact and closed. For a moment he hesitated but then marched forward and pulled at the handle. It swung open with a creaking sound and Manny found himself looking into a large and beautifully furnished sitting room.

Taken by surprise, he took a step back but then oogled at the comfy looking armchairs, the shiny wood and the deep red of the plushy carpet. The sight sparked a distant memory. It was not clear though, but he knew that he had been here before as a small child. When he stepped into the room, he held his breath. There was not a sound to be heard. Even his footsteps were now muffled by the soft carpet. There were two armchairs, one small couch and two small and low tables in the center of the room. The wall in the back was completely hidden behind an enormous bookshelf and to his joy and amazement, its contents - just like the rest of the room - seemed completely unharmed.

When he looked to his right, to the outer wall, he noticed a wooden desk with a matching chair. For a moment he could almost see his father sitting there, writing while his mother was leaning back in her armchair, talking... telling him what to write, while bouncing a toddler - Manny himself on her knees. He blinked and the echo of the past faded. When he looked to the other side, he noticed a staircase that led up to another floor. Manny knew now that his parent's bedroom was up there. Everything around him looked as if they had just been here, except for the ever present dust.

 _Mother, Father... if you had only stayed in this room during that awful battle..._

For a few long moments he felt quite gloomy but it was true. If his parents had been here - or with him - they would have lived. His own live would have been so different. Then he pulled himself togehter, what was done was done and even without his parents to guide him, he had turned out alright by his own estimation. He had found his purpose in watching over the world and had even followed in his father's footsteps when the Nightmare King had so suddenly returned.

Manny sat down in one of the armchairs and wondered, what would his father think of him now? He had abandoned the quest to defeat Pitch for a quest to save him. A few months back, he would have called himself a fool. But now he had to admit that live truly was an adventure with surprises around every turn. Nothing should be taken for granted and things were not always what they seemed.

He sat there for a while, lost in thoughts before he got back to his feet and started to investigate the bookshelf where he found the knowledge and wisdom of the universe but he did not start reading now, instead he moved on to the writing desk and used his handkerchief again to clear the dust away. Then he ran a hand over the smooth surface and admired the fine figure of the strange wood. A few papers were still stacked on the left side and Manny picked them up curiously but didn't really look much at them when he noticed a book underneath.

He remembered the cover clearly. His father used to sit right here and write into this book. What, he did not know but he was about to find out. With a sudden rush of excitement, he put the papers asade and picked it up. It felt strangly heavy in his hands when he carried it back to the armchair, sat down and turned to the first page.

Manny stared at the few words before him and for a moment he felt guilty, as if he was about to do something bad or forbidden. He was holding his father's journal, his diary, where he had written down his personal thougths. Should he really read it?

He was torn between his desire for knowledge and his own conscience. This book was all he had left of his family but he felt conflicted about violating his old man's privacy. The journal rested on his knees while he tried to tell himself that it was alright - that he had a right to know what was inside. But then a small gust of wind, that seemed to come from out of nowhere turned a few pages and Manny automatically looked down and placed a hand on the fluttering parchment.

It had been a simple reflex but as soon as his eyes met the page and the fine handwriting of the late Tsar Lunanoff, he was almost magically drawn to it. His gaze lingered on a name he had not heard spoken for a very, very long time.

 _I do not know what we would do without my old friend. Kozmotis is the most capable General the Golden Age has seen so far and even the sceptics are admitting now that I did right to promote him. I am sure that with his help, we will be able to put an end to this dream piratery one day._

 _Their numbers however seem limitless and as much as I admire my friend's mercy, his refusal to kill the culprits creates new problems for the kingdoms. Our prisons and dungeons are bursting and no warden wants anything to do with those vile pirates. I will have to find a solution. Perhaps a secluded moon or small planet far away from inhabited regions will do..._

"I'll be damned" the Man in the Moon muttered to himself, all doubts forgotten. He had to read this! All of it! Manny turned back to the text that would lead him on a journey into the past. He read more about his father's friendship with the great General. They had known each other since their childhood and had actually been in military school together. A few pages later, he found a note about his mother, who had been witch child at this time, so Manny himself had not even been born yet.

He also found many entries on other subjects like political matters, meetings with royalty of other kingdoms or simply odes to his beloved Tsarina, which Manny enjoyed reading. Soon after however he found other declarations of love - not for his wife, but for his son - for him!

The young Tsar had to wipe quite a few tears from his eyes as he read those but that did not stop him in his eagerness. He skimmed a few pages and realized that his father had not updated his diary on a regular basis. Sometimes weeks or even months passed between the entries. He found some that were not more than a few words while others covered several pages.

His father seemed to have been a busy man. Manny read entries about travels to the other constellations and also about visits to the construction site of an enormous prison inside a rare, hollow moon at the furthest end of the Hydra's tail. And followed by this, he found another rather long text about his father's friend, the General.

 _Kozmotis and Sara had invited us to their new home and it was a relief for me to see that they have settled in comfortably. It had been such a fight getting them to move into my late grandfather's old retreat, but what else were we supposed to do? The man is doing a hell of a job and we are greatful for his efforts but these have not gone unnoticed by the enemy either. The dream pirates have been targeting him. There have been three attempts on his life so far and I could not stand for this. Out there, in the Orion Ring, he and his family will be safe and well guarded._

 _I did understand their concerns however, that their little girl will have no friends out there, no other children to play with. And Emily Jane is such a sweet child - she's been playing and mothering over our son in such a loving manner while we were there._

 _He and Sara are simply a perfect match, maybe an even better one than my Tsarina and I. It's a joy to watch them and hear them talking to each other or to their daughter, it never ceases to amaze me. When I asked him about the latest battles and the fact that his crew and soldiers call him 'Lord Pitch', he only laughed at me. It's hard to believe that he had once been that boy who used to get mad or cry when other children teased him by calling him Pitch._

Manny let out an involuntary snort but then scratched his head thoughtfully. It was hard for him to imagine any of this but then he remembered the things he had seen lately. It made him even more curious about Pitch than about his father and he actually skipped the next entries in search for more information. He found it several pages later and according to the date of the entry, almost a year had passed since the last one.

 _I am worried for my friend. Kozmotis deserves the high military honors he received, but I am afraid that he might be taking on too much. His crew adores him almost as much as his family does and the people of all kingdoms alike look at him for protection. Still he stands tall and strong and hasn't changed even a bit in attitude. But the enemy is getting bolder and ever more crafty. The number of dream pirates has dwindled but their remaining forces are becoming more dangerous, like cornered beasts. So far Kozmotis has thwarted all of their attempts to assassinate him, but for how much longer will he be able to do so? Emily-Jane is by now old enough to understand the dangers of her father's job - she is now aware of the possibility that one day he might not come back home to her. No child should grow up with that hanging over her._

 _My dear Tsarina always tells me that 'our Lord Pitchiner' is a special creature as is not to be found anywhere else in the universe, just like our dear Nightlight. This morning she came up to my study. I have never seen her so excited! She showed me a book - an ancient tome she had found somewhere in the vaults of the palace. I had heard stories about it when I was still a young boy, but I had started to doubt that it really existed - let alone within my own walls! It contains the Oath of the Guardians - special creatures with unique personalities and traits who were made protectors of the innocent, of the children. The oath itself was said to have some sort of magic that would grant the one taking it eternal life. Tsarina made me read it and when I saw her smile then I knew that we were both having the same thought._

Manny's hands were trembling when he turned the page. He had a bad feeling about what was to come and almost hoped that his parents would change their minds or that something would prevent this from happening. But he could not stop reading.

To his annoyance, the next entry had nothing much to do with the oath whatsoever and he had to start searching again. Only a few passages later he found a note that did not instantly look as if it was related, but it still sparked his interest.

 _Sara and her daughter dropped by today. The little lass had an appointment for a portrait. When my Tsarina asked to see the painting we were both quite surprised. It was not larger than my thumb. Emily Jane however explained quite happily that they had also bought a pretty silver locket on a chain which should hold the picture. She wandted it for her father, so that he would always know that she was waiting for him at home. The child's words touched me deeply and when I saw the unease and hidden fear in Sara's eyes, I knew what I had to do. Before they left, I gave them a letter for Kozmotis. I do hope he will come._

And then there was the entry Manny had been looking for. It had been written just a week later and the last of the Lunanoffs felt faint when he started reading it.

 _Kozmotis did it. Or rather I did. We had everything prepared to make it public. Half of the kingdom seemed to have gathered in the courtyard. I think there were even more people than at my own coronation. When Koz arrived, I did feel a little conflicted though. The poor man had no idea what was coming. Even now I'm not sure if he took the oath willingly or just for the sake of the people but he took it none the less. Not that I had given him much of a choice. I know my old friend well. He would never back out with half the kingdom watching him._

 _Emily Jane had been thrilled, her mother not so much. She fears that this will make him even more daring and he already spends way too much time away from his loved ones. But I am still glad. At least we will no longer have to worry so much for his safety. My friend Kozmotis, Lord high General of the Golden Army and the first Guardian (since no one know whether anyone has ever really taken this oath before). I think that has a really nice ring to it._

"I can't believe this!" Manny whispered and shook his head as if this gesture could simply undo the things his father had set in motion so long ago. Minutes passed while he sat there and stared into space, but his mind was working with the speed of light. Then, very suddenly he jumped to his feet, stuffed the book into his robes and hurried out of the room. He didn't waste a thought about the automatic cannons, all he wanted was to get to his own controls and call the Guardians. He felt an unbearable need to share what he had just learned.

When he stormed through the rooms he had entered first on his expedition, he found the moonbots and mice along with a few warrior eggs already hard at work cleaning the place up but Manny felt that he did not even have time to praise them for their hard work today. A few surprised glances followed him, when he disappeared through the now much wider hole in the wall, leaving small clouds of dust in his wake.

Only minutes later he was in his own splendid observatory, trying to reach his friends on earth. He was using a communication device of his own invention that would make the moonstone crystal he had given to North resonate with his voice and make it audible to them. Manny made an adustment here and turned a wheel there for more volume but there was no reply. Was the crystal not working?

Manny marched over to one of his telescopes and angled it towards the north pole. He could see the glow of the crystal through one of the windows and switched the device into a different mode. Now he could see right through the walls. There was the crystal and it was working perfectly but no one was there to see it. Manny looked around further and found a few yeti at work, but not nearly as many as there used to be. The Man in the Moon frowned and made a few adjustments. Perhaps they were in Santoff Claussen today?

But the wonderful village seemed completely deserted and Manny took a step back to rub his brow. "Where is everybody?" He was usually a patient man but now this new bit of knowlege weighed on him like a burden that he simply could not carry alone. "Pitch! A Guardian! The first one none the less! I still can't believe it!" Muttering to himself, he kept looking. Bunnymund's warren was empty as well, except for a number of eggs on legs (a rhyme he had found fitting and also quite amusing).

But then he spotted them. They were in Punjam Hy Loo, all of them. The Guardians, the yeti, the people of Santoff Claussen,... he didn't spot Katherine but surely she was there too. It was simply too much of a hustle and bustle down there. He could make out North's massive shape and Ombric due to the fact that the wizard was directing floating cubes of rock around. Bunnymund too stood out quite a bit. They were obviously helping Toothiana to rebuild her home and what he saw looked truly magnificent. Manny leaned back and sighed. "Great. And just when I really need them too."

The small airship had crossed the European mainland and was now heading for the Atlantic Ocean. Pitch had readjusted the sails a bit and tied them back to the mast. Now he was sitting with his back against the storage compartment with Melissa beside him. The girl had dozed off a little while ago and the Nightmare King did his best to stay awake and keep the memories at bay. As long as they were flying he could not allow himself to black out like he had before.

So instead he kept his eyes trained on the small fire which was now nothing more than a few bits of smoldering kindling and white ashes. Pitch grinned at the memory of Melissa's face when she had eaten her strange supper. She had actually liked the tender meat but had finally admitted that it had tasted awfully bland due to the lack of seasoning.

The girl had even asked him if he could perhaps nick some salt the next time he went out. She had explained that she was planning on making herself a fishing pole and that it would be nice if there was something around to spice up the fish she was hoping to catch.

He really didn't mind going out to find food for her but he understood that she wanted to make things a bit easier for him. Pitch really appreciated the thought, specially when he imagined himself next to her on the shore of that lake under a starlit sky. It would be something nice to do with her, not just for food but for fun as well.

It made him wonder if he had done things like this with his own little girl. Had there been rivers or lakes where they had once lived? And if, had there been fish like here on Earth? He tried to imagine what it might have looked like there but he could only envision that meadow he had seen in some of his memories. He also had gotten a glimpse at some large bright building, a castle of sorts but he could not really recall what it had looked like.

He sighed and was just about to get up and take a look where they were when he felt that odd sensation – as if his mind was suddenly and very quickly expanding. He slumped back against the storage compartment as his vision grew blurry. A moment later the dark night was gone and he was looking down on his home. Not the caves but that castle like building. It was bathed in sunlight that shone down from that strange golden sky. He could see the familiar meadow stretching out behind it and weird purple trees in the distance.

He was standing at the railing of a boat, much like the one he was on just at the moment. But it wasn't black, it was bright and almost as golden as the sky itself. Pitch was looking down at the building and saw two figures coming out of it as he neared, preparing to land. He recognized them instantly. There was Sara and running ahead of her was his beautiful little girl. Even from the distance he could see her bright smile, she was waving, laughing and calling out to him. "Papa!"

His heart felt like bursting with joy. He was finally home again and he could not wait to embrace his wonderful family. But then the vision changed, it blurred a bit and a moment later the castle was nothing but a scorched, smoldering ruin. The once green meadow was black and smoke was still rising up everywhere.

Pitch sat up straight as the shock jolted him back into reality. He was gasping for breath and for a moment he could not understand what had happened. Where was Sara? Where was his daughter? Were they alright? Overwhelmed by fear he scrambled to his feet and dashed for the railing. To his surprise he looked down on a very different sight. There was no smoke, no ruins, only water as far as he could see and then he realized where he was.

With a deep sigh he turned around and found Melissa looking up at him with that slightly worried look in her eyes. She had been asleep against his side but when he had moved so suddenly she had awoken with a start.

"Pitch?" she almost whispered, not sure if there was reason to be alarmed. "Is something wrong?"

He sighed again and shook his head. "It's nothing. I just have to be more careful."

The girl cocked her head curiously as he sat back down beside her. "Those memories, they keep coming when I don't want them. I can't black out like this while we are in the air."

Melissa nodded but didn't seem too worried. "So... did you remember anything good?"

The Nightmare King still had that horrible vision burned into his mind but then he smiled. Yes, he had had a good memory too. He made himself more comfortable and placed his arm around the girl's shoulders. Melissa was a bit surprised for a moment but then she leaned against him and listened as he told her what he had seen.

"That must have been disturbing" she muttered when he had described the way his vision had changed. "But wait... _Sara?_ "

Pitch nodded. "My wife... her name was Sara. I remembered... when we were back in that old shack in New Orleans... you triggered a memory and I saw her. I talked to her... she said she wanted me to name our child."

Melissa stared at him, or rather at that slightly stupid and dreamy smile on his face. He looked almost starstruck and she had to really pull herself together otherwise she would have laughed at him. At the same time she was quite relieved that he now had such a happy memory to take his mind off that horrible one he had had at Leonie's and Jean's house.

Then however a detail about what he had just said made her frown. "Hold on" she said very slowly as her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How would _I_ trigger such a memory?"

"Well, you were..." Pitch started but then fell silent. Suddenly he felt strangely hot and there was nothing the flying boat could do about it. He just couldn't tell her that detail. It was way too personal. He cast the girl a nervous glance. "I... I'm sorry but..." he stammered and Melissa's expression became ever more suspicious.

"Yes?" she asked and raised an eyebrow.

Pitch heaved a rather desperate sigh. "I'm not quite sure... it was probably just the situation... please don't ask me."

But Melissa was curious now. She so wanted to know even though it made her feel a bit uncomfortable. "Oh, come on... tell me!" she begged but the Nightmare King shook his head and stubbornly kept his mouth shut.

The girl kept watching him warily but he looked away and avoided her gaze. A few minutes passed like this but then all of a sudden Melissa chuckled. She leaned back against his shoulder and gave him a slight nudge. "It's alright, Pitch. You don't have to."

Her sudden change of mind surprised him. "Really?" he asked in spite of himself. "Where did that sudden change of mind come from?"

She nodded. "I just remembered how you kept pushing me about that argument I had with Mother Nature. And how I felt about that. So... I'm sorry. I won't ask again."

Now that she mentioned it he had to agree. He knew now what it must have felt like for her but...

"But you told me after all" he could not help but remind her.

"I did" Melissa nodded. "But only when I felt like it. So perhaps... some day you might tell me too?"

Pitch sighed deeply again and relaxed. "We'll see about that" he said but Liz was happy enough to see that his smile was back in place.

They kept each other awake and distracted with conversation until the North American continent came in sight. Melissa finally asked Pitch if she could sew herself a dress from that amazing material. The Nightmare King had never been happier about any request and no matter how hard he tried, he could not hide his joy from her. She kept eying him suspiciously and could not truly understand what had brought about this unnaturally good mood but in the end she found that it was really infectious.

"I can't wait to get started on it... but I guess the fishing pole will come first. Survival still comes before fashion" she giggled and then pulled out one of her mother's journals from the storage compartment. "Will you help me read it?" she asked and Pitch was more than happy to do so. But merely an hour later Pitch reeled the boat in and they landed in a small and very familiar valley surrounded by cragged rock faces.

They had been chasing the night and it was still quite dark but the sun would rise soon. Here too the ground was covered with a thin blanket of snow now and the lake Liz used to swim in was frozen solid.

"So much for going fishing" she muttered as they hid the boat beneath the large trees. It took them a few minutes to secure the small craft and then they headed to the mouth of the cave. They walked down the dark tunnel in silence, both of them hoping that there were really no more fearlings around. They still had a small supply of stardust bombs but neither of them wanted to see another one of those malicious shadows ever again. When they approached the main cavern Pitch actually placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and pulled her a bit closer to him.

Melissa didn't mind that now, it even made her feel better... safer. The cavern was dark and she could could not her hand in front of her face, but it felt deserted to her. She listened but there were no sounds other than their own footsteps and the soft rustling of their clothes.

A moment later Pitch stopped her and they both stood perfectly still for almost a minute while Pitch looked around warily.

"It seems we are alone" he finally sighed and Melissa could hear the relief in his voice. Katherine had assured them that the fearlings were gone for good but she knew that Pitch still doubted that. He was nervous and that made her nervous too. "Come" he whispered. He took her hand and led her deeper int the darkness. When he let go of her she almost gasped.

"It's alright" the Nightmare King said quietly. "I can't see a single one of them. Let me just light the braziers."

She nodded and waited as she could hear and feel him move away a few steps. There were a few strange sounds but she could imagine him refilling those basins with something hard. It sounded like pebbles on metal. Another moment later she heard something that sounded as if Pitch had just snapped his fingers and instantly blue flames sprung to life, illuminating the place. Everything looked just as they had left it almost two weeks ago.

"Home sweet home" Pitch sighed deeply. He was more than ready for some sleep and Melissa looked like she needed it too. The girl did not even try to deny it when he suggested it, she merely nodded and stalked off towards the cage. She stepped inside through the wide open door and looked back at her friend.

He was heading towards his own room but kept looking back at her. Melissa could not read his expression through the bars but she flashed him a smile. "Sleep well, Pitch. See you in the evening."

"You too, Liz." She saw him nod and then disappear behind the curtain that served as a door to his chambers.

Melissa knew well enough that her cage was no longer a safe place from those fearlings but she locked herself in anyway. And when she lay down on her soft bed, she made sure to have one of those stardust-bombs right at hand. She really didn't think that there were any of those monsters left but as long as Pitch wasn't convinced, neither was she.

She made herself more comfortable and smiled blissfully. She had really missed her bed after days and nights sleeping on furs, straw or even just plain rock. When she thought about it, Melissa had to admit that it hadn't been so bad. She had slept wonderfully without a single nightmare all this time. Now however, no matter how soft her bed was, she felt strangely restless and could not keep her eyes closed for more than a minute. She kept turning from one side to the other and then onto her back again but nothing seemed to work.

Deep within she knew exactly what was wrong with her but found it hard to acknowledge. No matter where they had slept lately, Pitch had always been right there beside her. Even back in that cave in Japan, where he had a few spare stacks of this cloth hidden, he had at least been in the same room.

Then she remembered the night they had spent in that family's house. Right there and then she had felt just the same way. She had missed him but had believed that it was just the place and the strangers all around her. Now she was home and it still felt the same. It was not really so hard to understand when she thought about it, but it was still annoying her very much.

 _Why am I feeling like this now?_ _Have I really gotten so used to him?_

Back in his own room the Nightmare King too had trouble sleeping. He was awfully tired after the long journey on the boat and the sleepless night before but his mind refused to calm down. Images of the fearlings attack on Liz right there in that cage kept troubling him. Was she really safe here? What if there were still fearlings left after all? Would she be able to fight them off this time? Would he awaken quickly enough to help her?

After a while when everything remained quiet his thoughts drifted off to more recent memories. The latest one he had one the boat had been beautiful at first but had changed into something awful. He could not help but feeling that the horrible destruction he had seen was his fault. But how had it come to this?

Pitch tried to force the unsettling thoughts away and focus again on the beautiful memory of his wife but it would not come. Instead the image of that tortured little girl, dying at his feet by his own hands pushed back into his mind. A wave of self-loathing washed over him followed by a feeling he knew much better.

He felt himself starting to shiver again with plain and simple fear. He was afraid of this memory, afraid that he might remember more incidents like this one and even more afraid of being alone with those monstrous images inside his head.

He could not stop thinking about how he had felt after that awful vision, could not help wondering what he would have done if Liz hadn't been there to knock some sense back into him. And he wished she was here with him now. It was mortifying but he could not deny that he needed her.

 _But she needs me too... she said so herself! But what can I really do for her besides finding her a square meal every night? What can I possibly give back for everything she's done for me?_

He sighed deeply and could only shake his head at this train of thoughts but at least thinking about her kept his own fears somewhat in check.

 _So I've managed to make her smile a few times... but what's that in comparison? Why is she even staying with me?_

"Pitch?" a small and rather timid voice reached him from the door. The Nightmare King looked up in surprise and found Melissa standing there. Her expression surprised him almost more than her presence. For some reason she looked as embarrassed as if she had just wet her bed.

It made him sit up and study her more closely. She was wringing her hands, chewing nervously on her lower lip and kept staring at the foot of his bed. For some reason the sight made him smile just a bit.

"Can't sleep?"

Liz nodded her head but still didn't look up at him.

"Me neither" he admitted and patted the canvas of his bed invitingly. "Come here and tell me what's bothering you."

She couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief but she still felt awkward. What could she possibly tell him?

 _How about the truth?_ A small voice in the back of her mind nagged, causing Melissa to roll her eyes but then she managed a weak smile as she slowly walked forward and climbed onto the canvas bed beside her friend. Suddenly the truth didn't seem so impossible to tell.

"Still worried about those fearlings coming back?" Pitch asked, hoping to finally get a few words out of her. It was not like Liz to be so strangely silent. This time she actually did look up at him as she shook her head.

"It's not that. Actually I do kind of trust the elephant's judgement. It's just that..." she took a deep breath and prepared herself for speaking her mind just as she used to. "After all this time traveling with you it suddenly feels weird to sleep alone."

If her straight forward answer surprised him, Pitch didn't let it on. He only nodded thoughtfully as if he knew exactly how she was feeling.

"If you would like to sleep in here, you might remember that I have offered that before. The offer still stands."

Melissa almost flinched at his also straight forward reply but she did remember quite well. "It just feels different here" she admitted and looked down at her hands which were kneading the fabric of her skirts nervously.

The Nightmare King tilted his head slightly and studied her face with open curiosity. "Does it?"

"Yes" she nodded fiercely. "Here it makes me feel stupid and embarrassed. Maybe it's because I feel at home here. In my old home I never slept in one room with my parents!"

"But I'm not your parent" Pitch reminded her wisely.

The girl looked up in slight surprise but then nodded. "That's true, you are my friend."

Pitch nodded as well. "If I remember correctly, you told me once that while you were staying in Santoff Claussen, you shared a room with Katherine and even with North, right?"

Melissa could see where this conversation was going but all she could do was nod in defeat. "Right" she sighed. "We did share a room, but we didn't sleep in the same bed" she added and raised an eyebrow at her friend who promptly started to laugh.

"I never suggested that. Why don't we move your canvas bed in here right now?"

If even possible, the girl felt even more embarrassed for her own assumption than she had before. Now she could feel her face turn red and hot and Pitch's mirth did not help at all. Gritting her teeth she forced herself to remain calm. "Good idea" she agreed quite business like (but with burning cheeks) and got up. "I'll get my stuff then."

The Nightmare King was still chuckling when he jumped off his bed and followed her. They moved her bed and the rest of her few belongings silently and Pitch began to feel a bit guilty for making fun of her. Specially when he remembered the way he had felt just before she had walked into his room. And by the time they had piled up her bed just a few steps beside his own, he realized that it was no longer his, but their room now. The thought made him smile and he felt better instantly.

"Are you still not done laughing at my expense?" Liz asked gruffly when she noticed his expression and he quickly shook his head. He knew that now was the time to apologize and to speak a few true words himself.

"I'm sorry I made fun of you" he said and his tone and expression became a lot more serious. "To be frank, I am relieved that you decided to sleep here."

Melissa was taken completely by surprise by his change in demeanor. For a moment all she could do was stare at him until she realized that he was probably expecting some sort of comment from her. "You are?" she mumbled carefully when nothing really intelligent came to her mind.

He nodded and sat down on his own bed, facing her. She did the same on her side and studied his face until he found the right words tell her what was on his mind.

"First of" he started, "what you said about our travels, about being used to not sleeping alone... I must admit that I know what you mean. It's hard for me to believe just how easily I have gotten used to it myself. But there's more. I'm still not that confident when it comes to those fearlings..."

"You really think there might be some left... just hiding somewhere and waiting for the right time to strike back at us?" Melissa barely noticed that she had interrupted him but Pitch didn't seem to mind. He shrugged.

"I really don't know. I wish I could trust the elephant's judgement as much as you do. I have no reason to think that he lies but as long as there's no real proof, I'd rather be safe than sorry. And the cage is so far away. What if they come back and I don't hear you. What if I'm not fast enough?"

The girl nodded. She understood his concern but still thought that it really wasn't necessary.

"Then there is another reason I'd prefer to have you close by. I know it is an awfully selfish one, but I can't help it."

Melissa frowned slightly at this unexpected revelation. What else could there possibly be? She watched him carefully as he seemed to search for words again. His expression changed several times and for a moment there he looked afraid. She had seen this look on his face before and suddenly she knew. Even without him telling her, she knew exactly what scared him so. Her frown disappeared and made place for a reassuring smile.

"It's your memories" she stated before he could even open his mouth. And when he did, it was only because his jaw dropped. The girl nodded as she finally understood. "After the vision you had in America, you are afraid of what else you might remember" she went on, her smile never wavering. "But you know what? You are not alone with that stuff. I have after all promised the elephant that I would be there for you and help you with this."

Pitch's mouth snapped shut instantly and his face hardened even before Melissa realized that she should have perhaps chosen her words more carefully.

"So this is why you are tagging along with me. Because you made a deal with that flying pachyderm!" he scolded and the clearly audible hurt in his voice stunned the girl for a moment. Then however, instead for apologizing or explaining she allowed her temper to get the better of her.

"Oh come on, Pitch!" she pouted. "You know as well as I do that this is not the whole truth. After all, it was I who suggested to go back to Punjam Hy Loo. I talked you into this in the first place and that makes me automatically responsible for what is happening to you now!"

The Nightmare King's expression darkened even more at this. "So you feel responsible for me now? You think I need a babysitter?" he growled and at that moment it dawned on her what she had done. Without even meaning to, she had goaded and taunted him into a full blown argument – when there was really nothing at all to argue about. She ran a hand over her face and sighed deeply before she shook her head. Her sudden flash of anger was over and now she felt like an idiot.

"I'm such a dork" she muttered more to herself than to the person sitting in front of her. She stared down at her knees with a vacant expression. Pitch was still glaring daggers at her but he noticed that she looked quite exhausted and even more crestfallen. Her strange behavior confused him but he said nothing. It was her turn to talk.

"You got me all wrong" she started quietly but didn't dare to look at him. Instead she studied the folds of her skirt again as if she saw them for the first time. "But I can't blame you. I guess I'm just too tired to think before I open my mouth. I'm sorry."

"So what you just told me..." the Nightmare King prodded and his voice was still sharper than he meant it to be. His anger was subsiding but old habits died hard, specially for him.

"Is all true" she admitted. "Yes. The elephant made me promise that I would stay with you. Not that he needed to even ask this of me. I was never planning on going anywhere without you. And yes, I do feel kind of responsible. But that is not the reason I am here with you. I'm here because I want it. I want to help you with all of this because you are my best friend and more than that. You are my family."

As Pitch listened to her little speech, he sighed inwardly and wondered how he had gotten so mad so quickly. Now that the fearlings were gone, he could no longer blame them for his own temper. But how could he have doubted her so? How many times did his only friend have to prove that she genuinely cared before the truth of it finally sunk into his thick skull? In the end, he was still angry, but only at himself.

Melissa finally dared to sneak a peek at his face, but what she saw made her look away again quickly. He was still upset. "I'm sorry. I..." she started quietly but before she could, the Nightmare King silenced her by simply shaking his head. She sensed it more than she actually saw it.

"I'm the dork here, not you" he told her firmly. "I can't believe that after all this time, I still tend to forget that we are really friends. I should have known that you didn't mean it that way. So don't apologize to me when I'm the fool."

Liz' eyes grew quite round when she finally looked up and studied his face and the slightly forced smile on it. "But I got angry too" she said and pulled a similar face that finally brightened up her friends expression. He actually chuckled and nodded.

"I can't hold it against you. But I guess we have... what do they say? A relationship good enough to argue?"

The girl couldn't help but laugh a bit about his choice of words. "I guess so. Is everything okay again?" she asked bashfully and when Pitch nodded she sighed in relief.

"I suppose we are both just tired and a bit twitchy about being back here. Let's get some good rest and forget about this whole thing, shall we?"

She nodded. "That sounds like a plan. What will we do tomorrow?"

"Whatever needs being done" Pitch shrugged but smiled again. "We could do some more work on that ship or see what we can do about that fishing rod you were planning to make."

"Or I could start sewing myself something nice to wear out of this" Liz suggested and tugged at her bed. "And I still have so much more reading and writing to learn. I guess we won't get bored."

Pitch's smile had spread all over his face and he nodded. "We won't. But to do all this, we need to restore our energy. So... do you think you can sleep here?"

"Sure" she nodded and made herself comfortable on her soft bed. "As long as you are there I can sleep anywhere."

The Nightmare King laughed. "There's no need to flatter me, but I'm glad to hear it anyway." He followed the girl's example and looked up at the rocky, nearly invisible ceiling of the cavern. Still he felt a bit guilty about the argument. He knew now that he still had a long way to go before he could really be the true friend and perhaps substitute family that his young companion deserved but he would work hard on it and do his best to make her happy.

Only a few steps away he heard her sheets rustle and a moment later, her small soft voice. "Good night. Pitch" she almost whispered.

"You too" he replied just as quietly. "Sleep well, Liz."

And she did just that. While Pitch still lay awake for quite a while, contemplating and listening for any noises from the darkness that surrounded them both but all he heard was Melissa's calm breathing which slowly lulled him to sleep as well.


	25. Chapter 25

AN: It's short, I know... but I promise, I will write more again from now on :)

* * *

When Pitch awoke much later he felt refreshed and ready to tackle whatever the night might throw at him. When he looked around at Melissa's bed, it was empty and for one short moment the familiar panic was back, the fear that she had left him, but then he quickly shook it off and got up. A few minutes later, he entered the main cave but the girl was nowhere to be seen. There was however a clearly visible piece of parchment on the nearest workbench and when he approached it, he found that Liz had left him a message. She had done her best to write it down, but had added a few nicely drawn pictures as well.

"I am out – back soon" it said and showed a drawing of herself with grass under her feet, a rather big sun, trees, a few lines that looked like water and also an outline of the boat they had brought back. Pitch smiled broadly and decided to let her have fun outside as long as the sun was still up. In the meantime, he checked his workshop just to make sure that everything was still there. He found nothing missing and after busying himself there for another few minutes he decided that while Liz was outside, he could just as well go and find her some breakfast.

Pitch didn't feel like traveling far and since his young friend had a taste for porridge, he decided to stay in the area. But before he left, he picked up Melissa's note again, smiled and turned it over, to leave a short message of his own. Only a few minutes later, he was already sneaking down a narrow street in a small nearby village. The sun was just about to set and the dim light was sparkling on a thin layer of crisp new snow that covered the low buildings. A few men were still milling about on the square and he watched them for a minute. They were busy erecting a life-sized statue that seemed to resemble a group of people or a family. The whole thing was made of stone and obviously very heavy but the men were pulling it upright with ropes while others were keeping the base in place by cramming wooden shims beneath it. Pitch also noticed that the entire square was also decorated with colorful pennants that fluttered in the cool winter breeze. It looked quite festive. Apparently this happy little community was planning some sort of celebration.

As the Nightmare King watched them from the deepening shadows, he thought about how much easier and faster this task would be done with the help of his – no Melissa's boat. The craft would easily be able to lift the weight but then he shook the thought off. Who was he to run to those people's aid anyway? This was their business and he had no reason at all to interfere. If what they were doing didn't work, they would have to use their brains and think of a new way. This was how inventions were made! And with that thought in mind he moved away from the square unnoticed and concentrated on what he had come here to do.

Pitch found out soon, that around sunset was not the best time to find something like breakfast for his friend. Instead, when he peeked into windows he saw people having dinner or preparing it and those who had young children were busy sending them to bed. He went on, following the road a bit further until he came to a building that looked quite a bit bigger than the rest and when he looked through a window he saw finely crafted furniture and carpets. This was the right place. The more people had, the less they would notice when something went missing.

He also noticed a pretty young woman sitting at a weaving loom, smiling as she worked. There was no sign of the man of the house and Pitch reckoned that he was probably one of the guys working back at the square. He went around a corner and found a small, high up window but being as tall as he was, he had no trouble peeking through it.

 _Bingo_ he thought with a grin when he realized that he had found the pantry. There were shelves upon shelves with groceries of all kinds. Dried meat hung from the ceiling along with bunches of onions and dried herbs. A crate in the corner held potatoes and there were bags of flour and a barrel that seemed to hold butter. On one shelf he even saw an assortment of rather fancy looking bakery. The cakes looked sweet and Pitch wondered if it would be alright to nick some for Liz. Before he could make up his mind however, a beam of light brightened the pantry and a moment later, a boy of perhaps seven or eight years came sneaking into the dark room. He was in his nightgown and kept looking back over his shoulder repeatedly before he carefully closed the door behind himself.

The Nightmare King raised an eyebrow at this but what sparked his curiosity even more were the waves of emotions that he sensed from he child. Pitch could practically smell a bad conscience mingled with the fear of getting caught. Whatever the boy was up to was obviously forbidden.

Wondering what kind of mischief was going on here, he kept watching and saw the boy moving up to the cakes. For a few moments he stood in front of the sweets as if unsure of himself. Or maybe he just couldn't decide which one to taste first. But then, the child reached out and broke off a small crumb of the nearest one. He nibbled it carefully and a glow came to his face. A moment later, he broke of a much larger chunk, took a big bite and then, still chewing, he tiptoed back to the door and looked carefully into the dimly lit room behind. Apparently the coast was clear because the boy slipped through the gap and was gone from view.

 _So I'm not the only thief here. That naughty brat..._

Even as the thought so, Pitch felt the strangest sensation tugging at him. He tried to shake it off. It was none of his business and besides, he himself was here to take what was not his to take even though it was out of necessity and not to sate his sweet tooth. But he really felt like teaching that boy a lesson. He could not explain why, but it was such a strong desire, almost a need that it left him numb for anything else. The more he fought it, the stronger it got and within a moment he had forgotten all about his original plan. It was as if some primal instinct had taken over and before he knew what he was doing, he found himself in a dark corner inside the boys bedroom.

The child was already asleep with a blissful smile on his face. The Nightmare King frowned when he noticed a soft golden glow around the boy's rosy cheeks. He knew exactly what it was. He had seen it so many times before. A sweet dream. Now _that_ was the last thing the little thief deserved. His frown turned into the most malicious sneer, an expression he hadn't worn in a long time but there it was!

Pitch never even noticed it. He was not even thinking about it when he walked up to the bed and did what he did best. The boy's sweet dream was quickly undone. The sweets he had been enjoying in it started to grow and turned into cake-monsters that tried to eat him instead. Beads of sweat started to form on his now rather pale face and he moaned softly while in his nightmare he was running from hulking pastries with gaping, drooling maws.

The Nightmare King's job was done and he stepped back from the bed and admired his handiwork. Only for a moment though. Then his expression froze in sheer terror when he realized what he had done. He couldn't explain how or why he had done this. The fearlings were gone, or weren't they? It had not been like his memory though, where he had been forced to watch, unable to do anything about his actions. This time he had done it all by himself and he felt horrible. Overwhelmed by guilt, he fled into the nearest shadow. He had to get away from here. He had to get back to the safety of his caves but what would he tell Liz?

"Liz" he gasped as he remembered just in time why he had come here in the first place. Pitch dove into the darkness and emerged from it not far away right in the pantry. For a moment he was surprised how cold it was in there but then he quickly looked around. What he had not seen from the window, was the assortment of pots and pans that hung on the wall below it. With only the slightest remorse did he take one of the pots and then he frantically went through the shelves. He quickly found a tin that held the oats he was looking for, a jug with milk and a few small apples. He took it all and then practically fled from the place as if hoards of fearlings were at his heels.

* * *

Melissa had spent the late afternoon looking for the perfect piece of wood for her fishing rod. Since the trees were old and large, and bushes were rather scarce, it had taken her quite a while to find something suitable that was strong and still bendable. She had cut three different rods and brought them back to the lake, where she had used her knife to peel off the thin bark and had then smoothed them all with sandpaper. By the time she was done with this, she felt half frozen but was not really in the mood to go inside. She wanted to enjoy the sunlight as long as she could. That was when she remembered the properties of the boat that sat only slightly hidden between the trees. As soon as she had climbed on board, the air around her became considerably warmer and the sun seemed to have much more power. There she made herself comfortable and simply spent some time daydreaming about the kind of dress she would perhaps start to sew for herself later.

Only when the sun finally started to set did she go back inside. Liz was a bit surprised to find the cavern empty. She had expected Pitch to be awake by now and working on something but when she sneaked into their bedroom in order to wake the sleepyhead, she found his bed empty as well. For just a moment she felt a bit lost but then she returned to the main cavern and looked for something to do. That was when she noticed the parchment with her message, only that it looked different now. But as soon as she picked it up, things became clear to her. Her reading was still slow but her determination was as strong and her wit as quick as ever. Within a minute she had figured out what it said and she smiled broadly. She also realized that she was indeed very hungry but all she could do was wait for him to return and perhaps spend the time doing something worthwhile.

Liz was rather pleased with her new skills, so she took her mothers journals and started reading slowly, letter by letter, word by word. It was wearisome but as words became sentences and the writing gained meaning, her motivation mounted. It was like a journey into her past since her mother had left many enjoyable tales about herself and her father as well. It had been such a long time, since the day her mother had been taken from her that she had almost forgotten what she had been like but her written words made her remember little things about her. What struck her most profoundly was how much she had been loved by her. It made her miss her parents more than ever.

She sighed and pushed those thoughts away, hoping that Pitch would finally come back from his errands. She also hoped that he remembered to look for some fishing line and hopefully some spices too. But she still had to wait quite a long time until the Nightmare King finally emerged from the shadows, with an actual pot in one arm and a jug of milk in the other.

The girl jumped from her seat with a bright smile and was just about to scold him playfully for taking his merry time when she noticed that something was wrong. Pitch seemed out of breath and when he came in range of the light of the blue fires, she saw that he looked deeply disturbed, even a bit scared and definitely guilty. When he simply walked past her, dropped his loot on the workbench and then sat down heavily, Melissa only raised an eyebrow. His behavior was strange enough to worry her but she was neither impressed nor intimidated.

She approached her friend slowly and sat down beside him. For a little while she lust looked at him and waited but for some reason he seemed unwilling or unable to look back at her.

"Okay" she finally sighed. "What happened?"

That at last made him look up at her but only for a moment. He was still trying to come to grips with what he had done but without much success. But what was he supposed to tell her now? He knew that he should stick to the truth - he actually wanted to. Melissa had a way to make him feel better about thimself, even when he messed up and he was almost sure that she might be able to it again. But only almost - there was still the possibility that she would blame him for his lack of selfcontrol. She might even hate him for what he had done to that boy. And in the back of his mind, there was still that unnerving little voice telling him that it was okay - that this brat had gotten exactly what he deserved.

Pitch took a deep breath and finally turned to his young friend. "I messed up" he admitted.

Melissa's eyes widened a bit with alarm. The way he said it told her that something truly awful must have happened.

 _Messed up? How? Has he been seen? Did the people chase him with torches and … well ... pitchforks? Or… oh dear! He didn't run into one of the Guardians and attacked them, did he?_

"How?" she asked aloud and quite nervously.

"Big time" the Nightmare King explained darkly. "I turned a child's dream into a nightmare. I swear, I have no idea what came over me. I just couldn't help it. At the moment it felt like the thing to do, and now… "

Melissa blinked.

 _A nightmare? That's all?_

She was really relieved that nothing worse had happened, but Pitch seemed to be completely devastated about his lapse.

"Why did you do it?" she asked carefully, wanting to understand how it had come to this. Pitch shrugged and told her what he had seen and witnessed in the village.

"I'd say the cake was probably for whatever kind of festival those villagers are preparing. The kid knew exactly that what he was doing was wrong but he went right ahead anyway. And then… it was the strangest sensation, I'm not sure how to describe it. It was like... like an instinct taking over, like whatever tells the birds to fly south before winter..."

The girl had been listening carefully. To her it all didn't sound so very bad, but she understood her friend's concerns. Turning dreams into nightmares was after all something he had done under the fearlings' control and now he was afraid that he might turn back into some kind of monster even without them.

"What was that nightmare like?" she dared to ask. "The one you gave that boy."

The Nightmare King explained it and when he was almost done talking he was interrupted by an odd sound. Melissa tried to supress it but it was no use. Before she could do anything to stop it, she whas laughing right out and so hard that tears started to trickle down her cheeks. Pitch was properly taken aback and could only stare at her at first, but then he scowled.

"You think this is funny?"

His harsh voice almost made her choke on her giggles but she nodded. "You made cake monsters chase him? Yes, I think it's hilarious!" she chortled. "And you know what else I am thinking? I think you did great! A bad dream won't kill that naughty kid and he definitely had it coming. Next time, I'm sure he will think twice when his desire for sweets gives him such ideas."

Pitch frowned. He was still upset and the fact that Liz was laughing about it made him think she was not taking the matter seriously enough. But what she said... it was like she was agreeing with that nagging little voice somewhere in the back of his mind. Was it really alright? Liz seemed to think so, she even thought he had done something good. But was that really the case?

"You really believe that?" he asked her. The harshness was gone from his voice. Instead it was full of doubt and he seemed so insecure. Melissa just had to give him that reassuring smile again. In fact, she was not entirely sure about it but she nodded anyway.

"Sort of" she said thoughtfully. "When the fearlings made you do it, what reasons did they have? What were they trying to achieve?"

"Nothing" the Nightmare King shrugged yet again. "All they wanted was the power those good dreams held and ... I believe they just wanted to torture their victims. I have not remembered too much about it yet but I dare say that the nightmares were worse."

It was just as Melissa had suspected and her smile widened as she nodded. "But you gave that nightmare out with a purpose! You gave that boy's conscience a little jumpstart, I dare say. You wanted to remind him that he had done something bad."

Pitch nodded but was not convinced yet.

"Look, If you are feeling so conflicted about this, why don't you go back there and see what is happening..."

"What?" he gasped in shock and disbelief. "You want me to return to this cursed place? What good could that possilby do?"

Melissa shrugged. "I don't know" she admitted. "But I do hope that it would show you the consequences of what you've done."

"Exactly!" he almost shouted with exasperation. "And why would I want to see that?"

"It would perhaps make you understand that not all nightmares are evil. If you are afraid of going alone, I will gladly accompany you" she offered, knowing that his pride would forbid him to take her along or to back out altogether. So when he finally answered after a few long moments of silence she was more than just surprised - she was shocked.

"Alright! You win! But you will have to stay very close to me at all times. You must not be seen. Stay in the shadows."

"Er... sure" she stammered. Never had she imagined this outcome and she was not at all prepared for it. But there was nothing she could do now except going along with him and once her mind had accepted the fact that she was finally going to see where her friend had stolen her breakfast from, she was actually anticipating the trip. "So... let's go?"

No matter how occupied Pitch's mind was with his own troubles, he had still seen through Melissa's scheme. She had played the pride card before, but this time, he was not going to fall for it. So seeing her stunned expression, when he accepted her company was more than enough to lift his spirits. And on top of that, he would not have to witness those 'consequences' all by himself. At least he would not have to tell her about the havoc he had caused. She would be there and see it first hand.

So he nodded and rose to his feet, now quite ready to face his fears. "Let's go" he agreed and invited her to follow him into the shadows.

Moments later, Melissa found herself in a child's bedroom and she looked around curiously. They were both hidden well in the darkest corner and Pitch's hand on her shoulder prevented her from taking even a step out of line. That was okay though, but something else seemed to be up. She could hear her friend drawing a sharp breath. Then she too noticed that the bed at the other end of the room was empty and the door was wide open. From somewhere beyond, she could hear voices and the sounds of a child crying.

She looked up at Pitch's face and their eyes met. "Told you so" Pitch's expression said but Liz was not convinced. Before she could even whisper a word, however, she was being pulled back into the darkness - but just for a moment. When she could see again, the sounds she had heard before were much louder but soft things were pressing in on her from all sides. Melissa noticed that they were standing inside some sort of wardrobe and the door was slightly ajar. They could both see what was going on in the dimly illuminated room outside. Pitch's grip on her shoulder tightened a little when they saw the young woman sitting on a chair not far away with the wailing boy on her lap.

By now the Nightmare King was feeling very uncomfortable again. Doubts were creeping in that this had perhaps not been such a good idea after all. He was just about to pull his young friend back into the darkness, when the boy started talking. Since he was still crying at the same time it was hard to make out any words but Pitch understood quickly that he was telling his mother about this nightmare. Melissa however did not understand a word. English was not a language whe was familiar with.

Surprisingly the boy's mother understood him too. She looked only slightly surprised. "What an odd dream!" she exclaimed however. "Why would a cake try to eat you? Isn't it usually the other way 'round?" The woman seemed genuinly amused, which made her son only wail all the louder.

"I ate the cake!" he cried. "I took some of it even though you told me not to. I know it's for the party... I know it was wrong. I'm so sorry!"

Just at that moment, the door opened and a man walked in just in time to hear the confession. He raised an eyebrow and exchanged a knowing glance with his wife. "Did you now..." the young mother said soothingly.

"And how about that other time?" the father asked a bit more sharply and the boy nearly jumped out of his nightdress. He had not heard him enter the house. When he turned around to face his other parent, Pitch and Melissa both got a good look at the boy's red and rather chubby face. "I... I..." the lad stammered. He looked shaken and thoroughly remorseful. "I did that too... It wasn't the mice... I ate it. I'm so sorry Mama, you worked so hard to make it..."

Pitch noticed how both parents exchanged a smile and he had to admit that he was more than just a bit surprised. Melissa however grinned and simply enjoyed the scene. Even without being able to understand the words, she had a pretty good idea what was happening.

It was so very strange to be right there in the same room with those people without them even knowing about it. At first she had felt a bit uneasy herself, as if she was doing something forbidden, but when she saw those knowing smiles, she felt a lot better. It had been good to come here.

"Well" the father said. "Let's take a look at the damage then, shall we?" He walked across the room and out of their line of sight but not even a minute later the man returned with the cake in question. A rather big chunk was missing. The mother sighed when she examined the mess. The boy was still sobbing. "Please Mama, please Daddy, don't be mad. I'll fix it somehow! I'll make a new one in the morning... if you tell me how... I'll fix it!"

This brought a grin to his mother's face. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I'll do it. But you can still fix this one later. We will even out the mess and you can coat the rest with some icing. It will be a bit smaller than the others but no will will notice."

"But you understand that you did something bad, don't you?" his father asked and the boy nodded, looking very ashamed of himself indeed. "And all crimes need to be punished accordingly." The little thief's eyes widened a bit and he actually looked scared now. Would he get a beating after all? His father stood before him with his hands on his hips, looking down at his son with a grim expression. "But you have told the truth, admitted what you have done and apologised, therefore I believe a little community service will suffice. Tomorrow you will help your mother serving the cakes at the festival. And you had better do a good job. I'll be keeping an eye on you!"

The boy nodded with relief written all over his face while his mother beamed up at her husband. She nodded. "Off to bed then, young man. And no more mischief, or the Boogeyman will come and sent more cake monsters after you." He didn't need a second invitation but dashed off with a rather frightened little yelp. The parents and the two peeping toms listened as the boys footsteps hurried up a flight of steps. A moment later they could all hear the telltale creak of a bed being jumped upon. Then both parents started to chuckle rather merrily.

"It seems he's finally beginning to develop a healthy conscience" the young woman said quite happily and got to her feet to embrace her husband. "And 'bout time too..." he agreed before he closed his wife's laughing mouth with a kiss.

"Time to go" Pitch whispered into Melissa's ear. The girl could not agree more. In fact she was beginning to feel very embarrassed by now. She felt for her companion in the dark wardrobe and only an instant later, they were both back inside the Nightmare King's caves.

"So?" Liz asked with a smirk when they both sat down at the workbench again. She had not missed the puzzled expression on her friend's face. But she was happy not notice also, that the guilt had disappeared from it.

"So what?" he countered evasively. He really didn't know what to say. This was not what he had expected at all but he could not deny that he felt strangely elated.

"I saw what happened but I didn't understand the language. Tell me what I've missed!" she begged impatiently and quickly added "Please?"

While they had been there, Pitch had not for a moment thought of this and now he ran his hand across his face when he realized that she was right. Then however, he explained quickly what the conversation had been about. Even as he spoke, the scene replayed in his mind and he began to understand why Liz had more or less tricked him into going back there. But how could she have known that things would turn out the way they had?

"So he got off easy. When his father came in, I was almost sure he would get a good working-over" the girl admitted but Pitch didn't seem to be listening. He had his gaze fixed on the blue, flickering flames of the nearest brazier and seemed lost in thoughts. Melissa had gotten used to him spacing out from time to time and she was usually patient with him, but right now she really wanted him to talk to her, she wanted to know what was on his mind.

She gave him a sight nudge to the side and looked up at him expectantly. "What do you think of your consequences now? What would have happened if you had not given him that nightmare?"

Pitch was annoyed for only a moment but when he looked at her face he could not help but grin. He knew exactly what she wanted to hear and just now he didn't really mind bolstering her ego a bit. She deserved it after all.

"Alright, alright! This point goes to you!" he admitted but with a laugh in his voice. "Perhaps it really wasn't so bad - might it be fate or sheer dumb luck but I do like the outcome. I guess that little sweet tooth has learned a few lessons tonight - and so have I."

Inwardly Melissa was almost bursting with pride but she also felt like she had missed something. "Right" she mumbled. "The boy learned that he had done something wrong and that it is always better to tell the truth. But what else? And what have you learned besides that I was right?"

The Nightmare King gave her a sharp look but then he got up and started pacing. Melissa knew what was coming. He often paced like that when he was lecturing her.

"The boy also learned that he has to take responsibility for his actions, for excample by fixing what he broke or accepting the punishment from his father. I was taught a similar lesson and yes - you were right. The nightmare had been a good thing at this point. But I have also learned that I still have that ability, _and_ that I can actually use it to do something good for a change - something that I can be proud of!"

It was Melissa's turn to be surprised but then she nodded thougtfully. It was true. Just as she had said before, not all nightmares were evil and if Pitch used this ability to give children like this boy a little nudge into the right direction...

"There is however one thing, I would very much like to know" he interrupted her thoughts and she looked up at his face again. That puzzled expression was back but he was still looking right at her as if she might have the answer to his most pressing question.

"Who or what the heck is the Boogeyman?"


	26. Chapter 26

North was spending yet another night in his old bed in Santoff Claussen. His work at the pole could wait until the construction in Punjam Hy Loo was completed. The Tooth Palace, as they had started to call it, was coming along nicely and with his and Ombric's magic, it was taking shape quickly. A few more days perhaps and Tooth would be able to finish the remaining details by herself and finally fulfill her duties as guardian of childhood memories efficiently.

He was tired after a long day of hard work but the story Katherine had told them the night before was still buzzing around in his mind. Specially since the girl had retold her story today with everyone present. Poor Tooth had nearly thrown a fit when she heard that the girl had really run into Pitch in person but had then been perfectly lost for words at the end of the story. Sandy too had been speechless - which was no surprise really. But the little golden man had looked downright happy. In fact, North had not believed that such a wide smile was even physically possible.

But Bunnymund's perfectly gobsmacked expression had been the cherry on top and still made North chuckle into his beard even now. The Pooka, who always had a cynical comment ready when it came to human sentiments, could hardly be called the excitable type. But Katherine's story had an effect on him, that had showed them expressions they had never known his furry face was capable of. But Bunny had not been the only one.

Katherine's friends, the children and their parents too had all expressed similar feelings of shock and awe. But finally everyone had gone back to work on the Tooth Palace with hopeful smiles on their faces. It had really been an interesting and eventful day. It seemed that Melissa was doing quite a job on their former enemy and North wondered where this might lead them all. What would the Nightmare King do now? What were his plans for the future?

The man was a relic of the Golden Age, a creature blessed with strange dark powers and a lifespan humans could only dream of. He would never be able to live like a normal person on this world - not more and not less than Sandy or Mother Nature. But did he still have these powers now that the fearlings had been wiped out? And if, what would he do with them? How would he use them?

North was quite sure that, as long as Melissa was with him, he would probably lay low but sooner or later the girl would grow up. What if she decided then, that she wanted to leave the nest and find a life and a family of her own?

"So many questions" North sighed and looked up at the sparkling sky through the open ceiling of Big Root. Katherine was fast asleep at the other end of the room and unaware of his troubled thoughts. He knew he should sleep too. He would need his strength tomorrow.

"Yes, so many questions" Ombric agreed and caused his big friend to sit up rather quickly on his bed. The old man was sitting at one of the telescopes not far away and was also gazing up at the sky. "And no answers" he added thoughtfully. "Only time will tell what will happen. But I do think you are worrying to much, my friend."

North frowned at him and finally raised an eyebrow. "And what are you doing up here at this hour? Can't sleep?"

The wizard took his eyes away from the ocular to look back at him. There was an odd sparkle in his eyes and his mustache was twitching slightly. "Manny has given me a special lense for the telescope. Tonight felt like a good time to test it."

"Oh" North breathed. This had not been the answer he had expected but when he thought of it, Ombric rarely did what he expected. "What does it do?" he asked with genuine curiosity. A telescope lens given by the Man in the Moon would surely have special properties.

"It allows me to see inside the Moon. So I can actually see how Manny is doing" was the simple explanation but North was quite excited about it. He grinned and swung his legs out of his bed.

"So what is our friend up to?"

Ombric looked through the telescope again and shrugged a moment later. "He's in his observatory reading a book. But a few minutes ago, I saw him looking through one of his own devices. I think he's also keeping an eye on us. Something however seems to be bothering him."

Nicholas scratched his now rather bushy beard thoughtfully and wondered if he should perhaps take the time in the morning to shave. It was getting rather itchy under there. The thought however was pushed aside quickly. "What makes you think so?" he asked instead, his mind back on the subject at hand.

"I can't make out his expression" the wizard sighed. "The lens is not that strong, but there is an air of impatience and urgency about him, the way he moves and keeps looking up and around. It does not seem like him."

North had to agree. Manny didn't strike him as the impatient type. But what could he possibly be waiting for? "I think" he said quietly. "Tomorrow night I will return to the Pole and take a look at that weird crystal he gave us. If something is up, he might have sent us a message or something."

Manny would have wholeheartedly agreed with him. Even he hadn't known this side of his own personality and now he barely recognized himself. He had first waited rather patiently for his Guardians to finish their days work, but when it had dawned on him that North was not returning to his new domain for the night, he came frighteningly close to a full blown tantrum.

It had taken him some time and effort to calm down and accept what he could not change. For a while he thought about sending a moonbeam to them with a message but came to the conclusion that he shouldn't. Sending one of his most trusted messengers was for emergencies and now that the moonstone crystal was in place, the very last resort. So all he could do was sit tight and wait no matter how much his own impatience vexed him. He took one last peek through his telescope and then returned to his newly installed Guardian-Communication-Center in the bottom center of his spheric observatory. The communication unit itself consisted of two intertwining golden rings which were about a cubit in diameter and in their center hovered another glowing moonstone crystal - a twin to the one he had given to North. It sat on a tripod which allowed it to stand solidly on the uneven, translucent floor. Next to it stood a small but comfortly cushioned chair and a small round table on which Manny had placed his father's journal.

The sight of the book reminded him, that there were many more entries he had not yet read. There might be so much more to learn about the past, his family and hopefully about Pitch too. Manny sat down and as he leaned back one of his moonbots entered the observatory, balancing a silver tray with a cup of steaming tea. The robot made its way down the steep slope gracefully enough by exchanging its legs for one broad wheel.

It made a low humming sound that caused Manny to look up and for the first time in hours the young Lunanoff found his smile. "Whatever would I do without you?" he said when the cup was placed on the table next to him. The moonbot said nothing - it was not made for communication but it understood the praise and beeped happily before leaving again. Manny watched it go and when he was sure to be alone and unwatched, he leaned back again and made himself even more comfortable by putting his feet up on the table, right next to the cup and the book. Then he took a sip of tea - a rare Indian brand, compliments of Toothiana, and picked up the journal.

He quickly found the page where he had left off and continued reading from there. This time he did not skip entries but read everything, even the most boring ones and those he barely even understood, simply to kill time. But he did learn a few more things that he deemed interesting and good to know. The very first entry he read for excample was about the large prison wich was still work in progress. His father had visited the construction again and called it 'a place of nightmares'.

 _The construction is well under way but I am always glad to be away from this lonely moon again. Ist surface is barren, nothing but black rock and fine gray sand that feels like ashes under my feet. When the machines are not working, it's eerily silent, Nothing lives there and the only word that fittingly discribes the place is 'dead'. I do not envy the poor souls that will be stationed here one day. The foreman tells me, that once the great gate is in place, no guards will be necessary. He is certain that escape will be impossible. Still I would feel more at ease if someone was there to keep an eye on things. The inside of the hollow moon, which will be the prison itself is even more dreary. It is enormous and even if we manage to catch every single dream pirate in the universe, I doubt we will ever be able to fill it. But there is not even a spec of light. The future inmates will face an existence in complete darkness. I do try to tell myself, that those monsters don't deserve better for their heinous crimes but it still makes me uncomfortable._

Manny had to shake off goosebumps even while reading this. He understood his father's mixed feelings about this place. It also made him wonder what his father's friend, the General would have said about it. Had his Father ever talked to him about the prison? According to what he had read so far, the man had then been known to be noble and merciful. He had been refusing to kill the pirates he captured but would imprisoning them there not be a punishment worse than death? Manny didn't like where his thought were leading and quickly resumed reading. The next entry was indeed one to lift his Spirits considerably. It was one about himself.

 _Our little boy is beginning to speak! It happened just earlier tonight, when we were putting him to bed. I had always believed his first word would be Mama or Dada, as is right and normal for children. But no. Not our little prince. His first word was Nightlight. Our spectral friend of course was present as well and I dare say, I have never seen him look so surprised and even a bit guilty. But my Tsarina was laughing. I admit I wanted his first word to be Dada but what can I say? I am way too proud to be jealous. Nightlight after all, is also part of our family somehow and we are so lucky to have him. He loves our son as much as we do and we all love him too. He truly deserves the honor._

Reading those words made Manny smile and almost laugh when he imagined his parent's faces and Nightlight's too. He took another sip of tea and read on, bit by bit forgetting how urgently he wanted to talk to his friends on Earth. The next few paragraphs however were rather dull entries about the aosts of military missions, the recruitment of new soldiers and their training and the expenses for the afore mentioned prison. Manny understood that all of this had to be financed somehow but all this mundane stuff was just not his world. He read it anyway but with little interest until he came upon an entry that quickly wiped away the remains of this good mood.

 _The most terrible thing has happened. We received an emergency signal last night. Its source was somewhere near the Canis Major constallation. Kozmotis' home is not too far away from there and we sent word to him immediately. He set out with his crew to take care of the trouble. How was I supposed to know that it was a trap? A diversion planned by the dream pirates! While he hurried to a battle that never existed, they attacked his home - his family. Both Sara and little Emily Jane were killed. My Tsarina and I could not be more heartbroken. I received word from his first mate that they had rushed back there with all haste as soon as they had realized that they had been misdirected but had not been in time to save anyone. They had however been able to capture the culprits. What shocked me most deeply is how my noble friend fared with them. The man who never willingly took a life decapitated them singlehandedly, all of them, one by one. I can not imagine the pain he must be in._

 _I can't help but feel responsible for all of this. It is my fault. Had I never made him General, a Guardian... this would not have happened. My poor friend has lost what was most precious to him and I wish there was something I could do to help. I have sent word back to his Galleon and asked him to come here. I will at least offer him to move in with us. To live with us. It is the least I can do now._

Manny had both Hands clasped over his mouth. Finally he understood what had happened. It must have been this event that had started it all - Pitch's fall from grace. The loss of his family must have driven the man mad. But it still did not explain how he had become the King of Nightmares. How had he come to be possessed by the very creatures he had hunted down and fought for so long?

He felt tempted to skip the next entries in search for answers but there was no need. His father had updated his journal the very next day.

 _He declined. Of course he declined. Kozmotis is as stubborn and prideful as ever and there is nothing I can do about it. But seeing him like this hurts. The man is half mad with grief and pain. It reminds me a bit of our childhood… of the time after his pet died. He had been like this then. He had been mad at the world and everyone around thim. I think this might be his weakness - his fatal flaw. He simply can't handle loss. What I saw today was a hundredfold this same madness fuelled by grief. When I asked him if there was anything I could do for him, all he asked for was his ship and his crew. He told me to keep his payment and use it to finish the prison as quickly as possible. I understand that he wants vengeance and I appreciate that he wants to keep doing his job... but there was a darkness in his eyes that worries me._

 _A week ago, when I shared with him my thoughts about the prison, he was sympathetic and urged me to do order the workers there to install a few windows of stardust infused safety glass but now he tells me that a fate worse then death is just what those monsters deserve. I did as he asked though - it is the least I can do for him. I just wish that he would take the time to mourn properly. I have hope though, that one day he will get a grip on his rage and go back to being the friend I have always known and cherished._

Manny sighed deeply. He had a hunch that his father's hopes would not come true. His words had filled him with a sadness that he knew would not easily go away. All of this had happened such a long time ago. How was he supposed to fix all of this? Then he suddenly realized something important. The little girl, Emily Jane had survived. He knew she had come here with Sandy, locked inside his shooting star. How was this possible? How had she escaped and how could it be that his father or the golden army had made such a grave mistake? If Pitch had known that his daughter was alive…

The young Lunanoff was sure that he would have searched for her. Pitch would have scoured the universe for her and would not have given up before he found her. Eveything would have been different. Instead of pain and despair there would have been hope. The darkness that had taken hold on him would have never had a chance.

"I wish I had known just who she was, when she rose from the shattered remains of that shooting star" Manny whispered to himself. "I should have gotten in touch with her somehow… but back then I had no idea. I didn't know what I know now". He took another sip of the now lukewarm tea and sighed again. There was no turning back the time and wondering about what ifs would not get him anywhere. He needed to talk to the Guardians, they were the ones who needed to know all of this. Manny would not be able to do that much where he was, but his friends were on Earth. And sooner or later they would run into Pitch again. They had to learn the truth about the man who used to be their sworn enemy.

 _And I was the one who made them Guardians... only to fight him. What a fool I have been._

He put down the cup and rose from his seat to take another look through his telescope. When he did he let out another silent curse. The Earth had turned and he could now see neither Santoff Claussen nor Punjam Hy Loo. Instead he was looking down on the American continent. Half of it was already dark while the western coast was probably enjoying a rather beautiful sunset.

Not long ago he had watched Pitch and Melissa cross the ocean on that flying boat and knew where they had landed. After that he had even seen the girl outside in that small valley in the late afternoon. So now out of curiosity he looked there again but the valley lay in darkness and he could see next to nothing. Manny scanned the surrounding area without success until he came across a small village. Something was going on there. Fires were lit and people had gathered in the village square. He could see a few men playing fiddles and pipes while one was beating a small hand drum. Others were dancing to the music they were making and everyone looked so merry, it made Manny smile again.

A few children were still sitting around a smaller campfire but as Manny watched they were one by one picked up by a parent and taken away into their houses. It was time for the little ones to go to sleep. He kept looking for a while longer, enjoying to see such happy folks. He could almost imagine the sound of the music and while he still thought of this, he suddenly noticed a small figure crossing the village square, walking away from the celebration and into the darkness of the fields. For one moment he was quite sure that his eyes were playing a trick on him. Manny rubbed them quickly and looked again. But there was no doubt about it.

"What is Melissa doing down there?" he wondered in stunned surprise.

* * *

"Who or what is the Boogeyman?"

Melissa had no answer to Pitch's question. She didn't even know why he was asking about such a weird name. She had never heard anything like it and all she could do was shrug.

The Nightmare King noticed her puzzled expression and tried to explain. "It's something the mother said. She told that kid that the Boogeyman would send more cake monsters after him, if he didn't go to bed right away."

"But it was you who did that" Melissa reminded him - not that he had forgotten about it for a minute, but he nodded anyway. The girl grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I guess that makes _you_ the Boogeyman" she teased and just as expected Pitch angrily scowled back at her.

"Don't you dare call me that! It's... well..."

"Scary?" she suggested. "It sure sent the boy running. I mean, did you see his expression?"

"It's bad taste and disgusting!" Pitch corrected. But he _had_ seen the child's face. Liz was right about that. The boy had been properly scared but of what? That strange, unknown character or the nightmare? The more he pondered about it, the more questions popped up in his mind but not even one answer. Was there someone out there who had the same or at least a similar ability as himself?

And if that was true, why had he never heard of him before? How had this Boogeyman gone unnoticed by the Guardians? At least their Man in the Moon should have known about it. Summing all of this up only led him to one conclusion: There was no such thing! But that would mean that the mother had lied to her son. And the boy really had been frightened - he had rushed from the sitting room to his bed faster than Pitch could count to three. It made him wonder even more.

"I wish I could just ask them" Melissa said quietly, interrupting his thoughts and causing him to look up. He was a bit surprised to see her pacing up and down before him. Usually this was his kind of behavior but the girl seemed thoughtful and even a bit agitated.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

She stopped moving and shrugged, looking back at him. "If I could simply ask that boy or his mother about it, we might be able to clear this whole mystery up in a minute."

The Nightmare King shook his head. Not in denial but because of the plain simplicity of Melissa's suggestion. He had reservations however to approach the people of this particular village himself - it had been this place after all, he had first come down upon after his escape from the cave. It had been not too long ago but from Pitch's current point of view it seemed like one of those distant memories - like another life. Yet, he had no wish to go back there, let alone talk to any of the residents. But since Melissa was so freely offering it...

"I think that sounds like a brillant idea" he told his young friend brightly and his smile even widened when he noticed her doubtful expression. "I can take you back there tomorrow night and you can talk to the boy. Besides, this might be a wonderful opportunity for you to make a new friend, don't you think?" Pitch was well aware of the problem she was facing but only snickered when he saw the way she managed to raise one eyebrow. It was just another little thing she had obviously picked up from him and the fact that she was copying him in such a manner amused him every time.

"You know that he won't understand a word and neither will I" she pointed out and took a step back when Pitch swiftly got to his feet and headed for the bedroom they now shared. Melissa let out a snort of annoyance but the way he was acting told her that he had something in mind to solve her language problem and with mounting curiosity she followed him.

When she shoved the curtain aside and looked into the dark room, Pitch had already lit a candle and was rummaging through the chest that held most of his belongings. He didn't look up and said nothing, so Melissa climbed onto her bed and started dangling her feet as she watched him expectantly.

Pitch knew exactly what he was looking for. He hadn't needed it in a while but when he had first started to explore this world, he had faced very similar problems. Fortunately he was quite talented when it came to learning new languages and had caught on quickly. The first weeks however had been tedious when it came to acquiring information. English had been the first language he had come in contact with and also the first one he had learned. It had been easy enough but he had wanted more. Limitations were something he had always hated and since knowledge was power, he wanted it all.

When he thought about his ambitions back then, he wondered if the fearlings had actually cut him some slack there. Their only goal was the consumption of good dreams and the creation of bad ones instead. But they had never stopped him in his persuit for information, and following rumors, he had come across an old hag, who was said to speak every language known to men.

Without her ever noticing, he had followed her like a shadow for about a week and come to the conclusion that the rumors were only partially true. The woman did not in fact know every language - but she knew magic! Or rather a spell that allowed her to understand any language and it seemed that whoever she spoke to understood her as well. However, Pitch had no idea where this came from but since he wanted this bit of magic for himself, he took a risk and tricked her, confusing her with a language even her spell did not know - the tongue of the Golden Age. Upset and afraid that her magic might be failing the old witch had hurried to her cottage, where she took a scroll out from under a loose floorboard.

The Nightmare King had kept a close eye on her and seeing his chance, he left the witch to the fearlings and snatched his price without even a scrap of remorse. He had learned the magic of the scroll quickly and found out that it was indeed ancient - between 2600 and 3000 years old and had been found buried deep within the foundations of a ziggurat in a place called Babylon. How it had ended up in the hands of the old woman however remained a mystery even to him. Pitch had found this interesting but saw no need to investigate further. He had what he had wanted and was now free to explore and wreak havoc on every part of this small blue planet.

He stared down at the small box that held the scroll now and sighed deeply, wondering about the path he had been on back then and the one he was treading now while Melissa waited and wondered what had so suddenly spoiled his mood. Then however the straightened up and looked back at her over his shoulder. His grin was back as he waved the small wooden box. His young friend was somewhat relieved but at the same time intriegued. He sure was acting cryptic and Melissa was nearly bursting with curiosity now. She wanted to know what was inside that box.

"What is that?" she asked but tried not to sound too impatient.

"The secret of my success" Pitch told her and laughed when Liz rolled her eyes at him. She knew it had to be good but why could ne not simply give her a straight answer for once? "I can't believe I haven't thought of it before. It would have made things so much easier for you..."

Melissa cocked her head but said nothing. She was waiting and Pitch could see it. It was time to let her in on his little secret.

"This box contains an ancient scroll with one powerful but simple magic spell. It will allow you to understand any language known to men and everyone you talk to will understand you too."

Melissa was suddenly on her feet. "You mean..." she started but was promptly interrupted.

"This doesen't mean, that you will be speaking in foreign tongues. It is simply a spell of understanding. It will not teach you a language but it will make things a lot easier for you ... in case you still want to talk to that boy."

The girl took it all in and pondered over it for a few minutes while Pitch stood before her and waited. He could tell that she had mixed feelings about it but wondered why. He was offering her a solution - a way for her to speak with anyone she would ever meet. To Melissa however it felt a bit like cheating, but wasn't that what all magic was? And Ombric used magic all the time! There were so many things she had to learn already. Perhaps a little bit of cheating wasn't all that bad, besides Pitch seemed really nervous about this boogeyman matter...

"I would prefer to learn languages the normal way" she told him finally, shrugged and then grinned. "But for you I'll do it."

It took him a few seconds to digest her choice of words but then he smirked. Was she trying to make it sound like she was doing him a favor? Clever girl, he thought but decided to let it go for now. "You can still learn your languages the oldfashioned way" he assured her instead. "As I said, the spell does not teach you anything. And according to a note on the parchment, it seems that it needs to be refreshed every now and then, otherwise the effects will wear off over time. Strangely though, I have not experienced this at all so far but I believe this might be due to the fact that I am not exactly human."

Melissa thought about that for another minute or so but then nodded her agreement. If this spell would loose it's power over time, she would be back to normal soon enough. Now however she was curious. She wanted to find out about that boogeyman story just as much as she wanted to help her friend out. And now she was also quite eager to experience this spell, this magic, for herself. The idea of getting bewitched like that sparked her lust for adventure and when Pitch noticed that spark of excitement in her eyes he chuckled.

The girl looked on as he set the box aside and opened the scroll as if to read it. "You ready?" he asked.

She nodded again but then held up a hand. "There's one thing I don't quite understand" she stated, causing the Nightmare King to lower the parchment. "You have already used that spell and you have mastered so many languages. Why don't you just ask them yourself?"

Now this was the one topic that Pitch had really wanted to avoid. He was ashamed now of what he had done in the past and admitting it to his only friend made im a bit nervous. But he knew that look on her face. She wanted to know and would not take no for an answer. So he heaved a sigh and took a seat on the coffer, even though his armchair was only two steps away. "When I was set free here, this village was the very first human settlement I came upon" he started to explain. Melissa nodded yet again, in understanding this time. These first few words already told her enough but she didn't interrupt him.

"I was weak then after years of being frozen in time like that. I needed to regain my power, or perhaps the fearlings felt this way… I don't know. But I found this village and drowned it in a flood of nightmares. I am not proud of what I've done, but..."

"I see" Melissa interrupted him. "You don't need to justify yourself. Not to me. I have seen what the fearlings did to you, remember?"

It was the Nightmare King's turn to nod but he still felt a little awkward, as he always did when he had to tell his young friend about his past crimes. But as always, she showed no sign of anger or revulsion. There was just this understanding, reassuring smile.

 _What a wonder she is…_

"You think, you might cause some kind of panic if you let them see you" she added thoughtfully. This really was her job to do and she showed him a rather toothy grin. "That's a pretty good reason to send me there, I think. Let's get on with it then."

Once again Pitch sighed and then grinned too. It was so very good to have her and now for once there was finally something he could give back, even though it was only a magic spell. He hoped it would last on her for a while. Perhaps when their business here was settled, he would take her back to New Orleans. She wanted to return this piece of cloth anyway and this time, she would be able to really talk to her new friends there. Pitch was sure that she would be thrilled and as Emeline had so freely stated it, he did want to make her happy.


	27. Chapter 27

The incantation was not very long but to Melissa it sounded very difficult and complicated. She could not even make out words. All she heard was the strangest gibberish and she wondered if it would really work. She didn't know what to expect but she was a tad disappointed when she didn't feel anything at all. There was no magical glow, no flash of light, no sparkle, nothing! When Pitch fell silent, she just looked at him with that puzzled expression again. "That's it?" she wondered doubtfully.

He nodded. "That's it. Now we just have to wait for the right time. It's too late now but since these people are planning some kind of festival, I believe tomorrow night will be the perfect time. The villagers will be celebrating, the whole place will be bustling like a bee hive and no one will notice you. We can wait in the shadows until the boy has been sent to bed, and then..."

A now familiar sound interrupted his busy plan-making and Melissa sighed. Yes, it was late at night and she had not even had breakfast yet. But with all the excitement, she had not really noticed how hungry she was until now when her stomach reminded her noisily that she had to eat. Her complaining stomach merely made her sigh now, what truly annoyed her was the fact that she would have to wait the rest of the night and an entire day until she would find out if that spell really worked. She could be patient if the situation called for it, but this would be very hard to bear.

Just for a moment Pitch frowned but then his expression changed and he looked as guilty as he felt for neglecting his young friends needs like this. But neither he nor Melissa lost many words over it. Instead they returned to the workshop where Pitch helped her to prepare her favorite breakfast over one of the blue fires.

Only when she had sat down to eat did he continue to make plans for the night to come. She enjoyed listening to him when he was like this. The fact that he was as excited as she was greatly amused her. All of a sudden it seemed as if he was mainly looking forward to seeing her interact with other children without the tedious language barrier. He ddin't bring up the Boogeyman at all anymore. It was almost as if he had completely forgotten about the reason for their efforts. It made Melissa wonder but what she didn't know was that her strange friend simply wanted to see her happy even more than he wanted to solve this mystery.

She laughed about his eagerness and excitement and understood that he couldn't wait to see her trying out his gift, oblivious to the truth behind it. Even the Nightmare King himself hardly realized it. All he knew was that he felt different and that things he had never wasted a thought about before were suddenly important to him. He knew he had changed somewhat but had no idea just how much. He was busy exploring a whole new side of himself without being truly aware of it. Everything was somehow new and fascinating to him and at times he wondered how he had even managed to live that long without knowing what it was like to have a friend.

When Melissa had eaten, she showed him the wood she had cut earlier. But her friend knew even less about fishing poles than herself and since he had not brought back any line, she put the rods aside for some other day. She tried to read a bit more, but with their plans constantly buzzing around her mind, she found it hard to concentrate. So instead they ended up talking. Melissa told her friend some more things she had remembered about her old live in the village where she had grown up, things about her mother and things she had read in her journal. In return, the Nightmare King told her about a few more places he had been to when he had first started to explore this world and Melissa realized once again, that her friend was quite an amazing story teller.

He was perhaps not as good at it as Katherine, but she could envision the places he described so vividly as if she had seen them herself. It also made her want to see them for real and when she finally mentioned this, Pitch was thorougly satisfied that his stories had had the desired effect. He did want to show her more of the world and with that neat little spell in place, she would now be able to enjoy a few trips around the globe to the fullest.

Inspired by her enthusiasm, he hurried back to the bedroom and returned only a moment later with a large and slightly tattered map of the world. Pitch spread it out on the table and they both poured over it as he pointed out the places they had already visited and others that he wanted to show her.

Melissa never grew tired of hearing him talk, specially when he was in such a good mood. She eagerly listened to everything he was willing to share and she realized quickly that she really had a lot to learn. She had always believed to be quite knowledgeable when it came to geography, her father after all had taught her everything he knew. To her, he had been the smartest man in the world but now she realized that the world was indeed much bigger than both of them had ever known.

It had not even looked that big from space and even less so on the map before her but when Pitch explained the distances and described the vast endlessness of the oceans, she started to feel quite tiny and a litte stupid. With that realization on the other hand, her wish to see all those strange places even grew and she asked as many questions as she dared.

The Nightmare King too asked about her live in the village. He had noticed that she only ever talked about her parents. She never mentioned other children or friends except for that one time, when they had actually been there and she had pointed out the ruins of the chapel. The village priest had tought the children their letters and numbers, so he knew there had been other kids. When he asked Melissa shrugged and heaved a little sigh.

"It's true" she admitted. "There were other children but they were either older or much younger than me. The older ones didn't want me around and I didn't feel much like babysitting toddlers. So when I had time to play a bit, I usually did so by myself."

Pitch nodded but said nothing and while the girl was already looking at the map again, slowly reading out names of strange, exotic places she had never heard of, he remained silent and thoughtful. After the life she had known back then, Santoff Claussen had been the best thing that could have happened to her. She had found friends there so quickly but then he had taken her away from all of that.

Melissa looked happy but was this kind of life really good and healthy for her? No matter how often she had pointed out that there was no other place she would rather be, Pitch still had doubts. He knew that children needed children and now that he thought about it again he wondered. Was this perhpas the reason he so wanted her to talk to that boy? It had to be! He wanted her to make friends. Back in Louisiana he had witnessed her ability to do so, he had seen how happy the company of other children made her. The way she had laughed with little Leonie - he had never heard her laugh like that. Not before and not since that peculiar evening.

Pitch longed to hear that laugh again; he wanted to see her happy because it made him happy too. Or was that just what he was telling himself?

Perhaps he wanted to see her happy because if she was, she would be less likely to leave him any time soon. But he did want her to have friends! Friends her own age - not just him. And with that spell on her, she could have friends all around the world. It seemed like a wonderfull opportunity but still, something about it was bothering him and he just couldn't lay a finger on it.

He barely heard Melissa's quiet voice beside him as he focussed on his own thoughts. In fact he was taking a good hard look at himself and what he saw did not please him. The Nightmare King was so occupied with himself that he was quite startled when Melissa suddenly tugged at his robes. "Pitch, what is this place?"

He looked down at where her finger was pointing on the map and knew what she meant. While all over the continents small dots showed the locations of settlements and towns, there was a lot of blank space in the northern part of Africa.

"The Sahara" he said. "A large desert where there's just miles and miles of sand where nothing grows due to lack of water and fertile earth. It's very hot there during the day and quite hostile to life, so people stay out of it if they can help it."

She did her best to imagine it but finally shook her head. Could there really be that much sand in the world? She knew more or less what a desert was, that it was usually dry and barren and dangerous. But now that she more or less understood the real size of what she was looking at on the map, the mere idea made her feel a bit queasy.

"Want to see it?" Pitch tried to cheer her up when he noticed her dismay. To his surprise she looked up at him as if he had suggested a trip into the depths of hell. He replied with a short chuckle and a wink. "It's quite beautiful in its own way, specially at night. There's no better place to watch the stars" he tempted her but then added quickly: "except for my observatory."

The girl's expression had brightened considerably and now she was smirking up at him. "You sure know how to bait me" she remarked and then chuckled herself. "Let's do that some day. I must admit that I feel a bit ridiculous for looking at the stars all the time, when there are so many amazing things right here on Earth."

Time passed as they talked and squabbled and teased each other until they were both quite worn out but happy. It was still early, more like Melissa's bedtime, but since they had plans in the evening they both turned in and found it very hard to sleep. The anticipation was back and so was Melissa's excitement. Pitch was actually getting a bit nervous about the planned trip. He still had mixed feeling about going back to that village and he was now beginning to worry about what they might learn.

"Do you really think there is such a thing?" he asked when Melissa had not said anything in a few minutes. He heard her sheets rustle and then her sleepy voice. "What thing?" The Nightmare King cringed slightly. She sounded as if she had already been asleep. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? But it was too late now anyway. Even in the dark, he could see her turn over to face him. Her eyes looked sleepy too but there was a sly little smile in them too.

"You mean the Boogeyman?" she asked in a way that sounded more like a statement and rubbed her eyes. Unlike her friend, she could hardly see a thing. She heard him sigh but could barely make out his nod. "It's probably just a story. A local legend or something. Now stop worrying about it and go to sleep!"

Pitch couldn't help but gawk at her for a moment, the command her voice held still resonating through his mind. Small things like this still tended to put him off but he foced the rising anger out of his system and grinned instead. Melissa was a spirited girl and he liked that side of her. So why did he still feel this little twinge of hurt pride when she told him what to do? While he pondered about this, his worries about the coming night were soon forgotten and after a while, he finally fell asleep too.

When the sun was beginning to set over the American continent, Pitch awoke with a start due to Melissa shaking him. She was in high spirits, grinning and bouncing around on his bed. "Come on!" she urged him. "Get up already! We have plans for tonight, remember?"

He was only just half awake and her uncommon behavior catapulted him back through time and space to another place he had once called home. The girl that was bouncing around on top of him had a slightly higher and brighter voice, her laughter full of joy and anticipation. "Come on, Daddy! Get up! We have plans today, remember?"

Then he heard a similar but more adult giggle from next to him and felt the gentle caress of a soft hand on his cheek. "You brought that upon yourself you know... for giving her a boat" the laughing voice scolded playfully while the child's long ebony curls tickled his nose. And then he heard his own voice, laughing as well. It sounded strange and not quite like himself but he felt it; the pure joy and happiness of waking up surrounded by those he loved best.

"Alright, alright" he laughed, giving in to his daughter's frantic attempts to push and pull him out of bed. Then time did a fast forward and he was on a small boat, a schooner in fact and he was showing her how to navigate the craft. It was not too difficult and the girl was quickly getting the hang of it. He heard himself praising her. "Great job, Emily Jane!"

"It's _Captain_ Emily Jane now, Daddy" he was promptly reminded. "But you can be my first mate."

For once Melissa was impatient. She had awoken early and thinking of their plans, she had not been able to go to sleep again. Instead she had run outside to see what time it was and when she found the sun still up, she was a bit disappointed. She couldn't wait to get going, she wanted to try out that spell and find out about that Boogeyman - the latter worried her a bit, mainly because it worried Pitch but she found it hard to imagine that there was some other creature out there who could give people nightmares.

In order to keep busy and kill the time, she prepared herself a generous portion of porridge (there was still plenty left in the tin) and had a very satisfying breakfast. Being able to cook for herself was a nice change of pace but it still reminded her of the fact, that Pitch stole for her. It was wrong but if she didn't want to starve... what choice did they have? The thought had always bothered her and she wondered if she should use the opportunity and bring the topic up when talking to that boy later.

 _What if they noticed that things have gone missing? They might be blaming him for that too..._

It was probably not a bad idea to do so, but first she would have to wake the sleepy head. As soon as she had finished eating, she ran back outside and looked at the sky. The sun was finally beginning to set and the sight of it pushed Melissa's excitement to a new high. With a squeal of joy, she spun around and rushed back inside, not stopping until she reached the bedroom where she used her momentum to jump right up onto Pitch's bed.

She shook him and called his name until he finally stirred. She was so eager to get going that she cared little about being subtle. Instead she laughed right into his confused face and reminded him of their plans. The Nightmare King however did not appear to be fully awake yet, he just looked at her in that strangely unfocussed way as if he was still lost in a dream. At the same moment however, she realized that he was not looking at her at all but rather _through_ her.

Melissa frowned and was just about to give him another shake but hesitated. He looked so strangely happy and his eyes were brighter than she had ever seen them before.

 _He must be having another memory of his past... a really good one..._

All of a sudden she felt awfully guilty and selfish for even trying to wake him. No matter how much she was looking forward to going back to the village, this was so much more important! He might even remember...

Pitch mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like the name that was currently on Melissa's mind. Maybe she had just imagined it. She really couldn't be sure but it was too late now anyway. The Nightmare King rubbed his eyes, blinked a few times and then looked right at her. "Liz?"

He didn't look angry, just thoughtful and slightly confused, as if he was wondering why she was practically sitting on top of him. And that was when Melissa herself became aware of this as well. Embarrassement mixed in with her guilt and she awkwardly moved to the side and slipped off his bed. "I'm really sorry" she told him remorsefully. "I'd say that was not the best time to wake you, was it?"

Pitch was not so sure about this. The memory was still so vivid in his dream, it was hard to feel anything but happy. And the way Melissa had chosen to wake him made him wonder if she had not perhaps triggered it in the first place. But it was not at all like his young friend to just pounce on him like his little girl had done. Liz rarely acted that childish. But then, perhaps they were not so different after all, Liz and Emily Jane. Could it really be?

 _My little Emily Jane... I remember her. I remember her name!_

The realization brought a bright grin to his face and then he remembered what they had planned and he knew how excited and eager the girl next to him was about tonights mission. He sat up with a gleeful chuckle.

"Right! We have places to go and a mystery to solve!" he exclaimed cheerfully, causing Melissa to take a surprised step back. Once again he had managed to surprise her and she was beginning to wonder if it would ever stop to amaze her. "What time is it?" he asked.

"The sun was just about to set when I came in" she said simply but wondered if he was ever going to even acknowledge her apology or mention his recent memory.

"Then we have no time to loose! Let's get ready."

He was out of bed in an intant, stretching his long limbs while Melissa hurried out of the room to quickly grab whatever she thought she might need. It was only a few minutes later, when Pitch emerged from the chamber. He had donned his robe and cloak and looked ready to leave. And he still seemed to be in such good spirits that Melissa kept wondering what he could have possibly remembered.

During these few minutes his own mind had been tremendously busy. The mere fact that he suddenly knew his daughters's name - the one thing he had so wanted to know, made him nearly giddy with joy. But at the same time, he felt a strange uncertainty. He had planned to confront Mother Nature as soon as he had this one memory but now he felt like it just wasn't enough. He felt unprepared and accordingly nervous. Fortunately, he had little time to dwell on this now. They had plans and he really wanted to get to the village before it was too dark. Not that it could ever be too dark for him, but Liz would have trouble seeing. And whatever they would learn about this mysterious Boogeyman all depended on his young friend's performance.

This whole story, or whatever it was made him rather jumpy. He was not sure whether Melissa understood what was at stake for him here. What had happenend to him back in that village was still haunting him. He had given this boy a nightmare and it had felt right! And after he had seen what had happened afterwords, he also knew he had done good, even though it still felt somewhat paradox to him.

But even Melissa had told him that it was alright and he had come to trust her judgement. It had given him hope that had never even dared to dream of - that he could use his dark gift for something worthwhile. Something that would give him a purpose. Something good that would help rather than hurt and he needed this! He needed it to prove to the world and even more to himself that he was no longer the monster he used to be.

Now if there was already someone on the job, he would be faced with a serious problem. What if that other bringer of nightmares would not be willing to share the workload? What if he would end up with yet another enemy? He didn't even know who, what or how powerful this Boogeyman was. The mere idea made him feel queasy and he had to admit that he was ever so slightly afraid.

When he left the bedroom, he found Melissa waiting in the workshop, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with impatience and a grin that nearly split her face. And almost magically, his bleak thoughts were pushed away. Her smile was like a ray of sunshine that simply drove the darkness from his mind and he chuckled at the odd idea.

"Ready when you are" Liz called out to him and all he could do was smile back at her, nod and invite her into the shadows.

* * *

The moment the girl had shaken off the slight dizziness, she realized that Pitch had been right. The villagers were celebrating. Just as her friend had assumed, they had lit large bonfires and were milling about the village square in spite of the dark.

The Nightmare King and the girl were well hidden behind a cluster of shrubs a little way up the hill. A dark forest . From here they had a perfect view of the village square and could be sure that no one would notice them. The sun had set some time ago but children were still running around and playing.

Melissa, who crouched by his side let out a gasp of amazement when she heard the sound of music. She could see people dancing and a few elderly villagers stood nearby clapping their hands. The ground was crisp with frost and the air chilly but filled with laughter. She tugged at her poncho and wrapped her hands in it while she took in the scene before her.

The Nightmare King was nearly as mesmerized as his young companion at the sight of such merrymaking. He was not sure what he had expected but he remembered the times he had haunted this place. It was hard to believe that these were the same people who had locked their doors and windows at night and had not dared leave their dwellings after sunset - all out of fear of him. They had clearly recovered faster than he would have given them credit for.

"There he is" Melissa whispered next to him and pointed her finger at the eastern end of the village where a short plump shape was barely visible in the shadow of a barrel. The boy appeared to be hiding from his friends, who seemed to have vanished as well, except for one tall lad, who was wandering about searching.

"They are playing hide and seek" Melissa realized and felt a pang of longing. It had been so long since she had played with other children. It made her remember that day at the lunar lamadary when she had played the story of the Queen Toothiana with the children of Santoff Claussen. It felt like a lifetime ago and only now did she realize how much she was missing it.

An odd feeling made her look up at Pitch and she found him watching her intently. The prickling on her neck told her that he had been doing so for a while already and Melissa suddenly felt rather uncomfortable and even a bit guilty. "Is something the matter?" she dared to ask.

Pitch shook his head and smiled. "I was just thinking..." he started "why don't you sneak down there and see if they will let you join."

Melissa's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "But that was not the plan!" she hissed.

"I know. I know!" he threw both his hands up defensively but was still grinning. "But it's our plan and we can change it whenever we like. Right? And this way, you might not just be able to talk to that one boy but to all the children in the village. You might learn more."

It was her time now to give him that piercing look, but she was not nearly as good at it as he was. She had a hunch however, that he had somehow read her mind, or that he had simply seen that longing on her face and was now trying to do her a favor. Melissa was not sure if this was such a good idea. She was not exactly shy but the idea of boldly walking right into their game made her a tad nervous.

So she was a bit shocked when she found herself nodding. "Alright" she said and snuck off without another word. But she was nervous and not at all prepared for what she was about to do. Pitch almost held her back instinctively but then he ground his teeth and just watched. This was what he had just suggested after all. His bright eyes pierced the darkness in search of his friend but even he could barely see her moving from bush to bush, closing in on the village like a thief in the night.

Melissa was good at hiding and staying out of sight. Her father had taught her well, but she was not stalking deer now, she was not hunting for meat but for information and this was quite new for her. She found it hard to ignore that hollow feeling in her gut but she would not disappoint Pitch. She knew him well enough to know that he had sent her off just to give her a chance to have a little fun playing. She enjoyed his company very much but they both knew that this was something he could not provide her with. If she managed to make a few new friends tonight it would not only make her happy but him as well. Melissa was not planning on letting him down.

She was making up her new plan as she went. The boy was still hiding behind his barrels, his back to her but the open space she had to cross was illuminated by the flames of the nearest bonfire. So instead she took the long way around and made for the shadow cast by the nearest building. She was not too worried about the boy seeing her coming but she wanted to stay out of sight of the adults who would probably find a lone child wandering around in the night alarming.

She could hear squealing and laughter not far away. One of the boy's playmates had been discovered and had jumped out of her hiding place with a childish roar and giving the poor seeker quite a fright. Melissa could barely suppress a giggle as the commotion attrackted everyone's attention. She made good use of the opportunity and dashed forward, across the remaining patch of light towards the barrel without being noticed. At least not until she crouched down beside the boy and gave him a slight nudge. The surprised kid looked around and for a moment his eyes grew so wide with shock that Melissa was sure he would scream.

"Hello" she said with the friendliest smile she could muster but then her nerves got the better of her. "Can... can I play with you? I haven't played with other kids in ages and I really miss it, I only just realized... so... would you mind? My name's Melissa by the way. What's yours?" the words just tumbled out of her mouth without her being able to stop herself.

Even as she spoke, she could feel her face beginning to burn with anxiety and embarrassment. This was not exactly what she had planned, but she was so very nervous. The boy noticed it too and in spite of his initial fright he could not help but smile at the strange stammering girl. Her insecurity made him braver than he would normally have been.

"Where did you come from?" he whispered while she still gawked at the way his grinning mouth stretched from one ear to the other and made his face look even rounder.

"From... over there?" she mumbled after a moment of hesitation and pointed back over her shoulder. She really had not thought this through properly, she realized. "I... I was..." she stammered, not knowing what to tell him but he interrupted her.

"There's nothing there for miles! Just woods and fields and then the mountains. Are you all alone?"

Melissa shook her head. "I'm with a friend. He said I should go and see if I could play with you a bit. I think he feels a bit guilty because I so rarely get the chance to be with other children."

"How odd" the boy remarked but he kept grinning. "For a moment there I thought you were a fairy."

The girl snorted unvoluntarily and then started laughing - louder than she had intended. "A fairy? Me? Do I have wings?" she giggled and the boy joined in. It took only moments until the noisy lot were discovered by the boy's seeking friend.

"Gotcha!" the tall, gangly redhead shouted at them over the barrel, then stopped short and stared at Melissa in surprise and wonder. ""Who is she?"

* * *

Pitch still crouched behind his bush and watched nervously what was going on in the village below. He had seen how his young friend had sneaked up on the hiding boy and had to acknowledge her skill but he was beginning to wonder if his spontaneous decision to change the plan like this had really been such a good idea.

A hundred questions seemed to be storming into his mind at once. Each one more dreaful than the one before. How would the children react to her as a complete stranger? Would they not be scared? Would they not call their parents? What would Melissa tell them? What if they believed her to be a witch? - He had of course seen what people did to their own kind as soon as they were somehow different. The Nightmare King was worried. Had he sent his only friend to her doom?

He almost burst out of his hiding place when the two children were discovered and only a minute later Melissa was surrounded by six kids of different ages. One looked so small, Pitch wondered if the tot had only just learned to walk while the boy who had first found them stood a head taller than the rest of them.

When they moved away from the barrel and across the square, he could not take it any more. He dove into the deepest available shadow and emerged out of one right at the edge of the village. The shadow here was cast by a large barn. He pressed his back against the wood and inched along until he could finally peek around the corner. At first he could only see the villagers - the adults - much closer now. They were talking, laughing and dancing to the music. Being so close to them practically raised his hackles - not that he was afraid of them. Not at all! But he really didn't want to be seen.

If he was discovered they would surely recognize him and then things could only end bad, specially for Melissa. And for himself. The villagers would panic, the girl would be caught right in the middle of it - they would surely get separated... Pitch didn't want to follow this train of thoughts. It only made him more fidgety and he could not have that. If he got scared, he knew, he tended to make mistakes - bad ones. He couldn't risk it. So he concentrated on the scene before him and scanned the area, making sure to remain unseen.

Then he heard the unmistakable sound of childish laughter and saw them only a moment later. They had gathered around a small fire, their curious and excited faces glowing in the flickering light. The adults nearby paid them no heed, they didn't even seem to notice that there was suddenly one extra. Pitch was quite sure that the foaming beverage they were consuming had plenty to do with that. He found is old smirk again and relaxed a bit.

There was really no need to worry. The children had been quite stunned by Melissa's sudden appearance but their curiosity clearly outweighed their distrust. They quickly invited her to the fire and started to interrogate her. Melissa was a bit overwhelmed with all the questions but luckily they came so quickly, that she hardly had a chance to answer all of them.

She tried to stick to the truth but she could not possibly tell them everything. So she simply held information back rather than lying. She told them that she was orphaned and lived with a friend who had once saved her life, which was all true. When they asked why her friend had not come as well, she explained that he was not comfortable with being around a lot of people, which was not a lie either.

"So your friend is some kind of weird hermit then" the tall redhead, remarked, causing Melissa to grin cheekily and nod. "That's one way to discribe him" she agreed. "But he's pretty awesome in his own way."

When she mentioned that she came from a far away country a younger girl's eyes lit up. "That's why you talk funny!" she reasoned.

"Do I?" Melissa was not sure what she meant and she didn't dare mention the magic spell. That would only raise suspicion but she made a mental note to ask the Nightmare King about it later.

"A little" the chunky lad who had introduced himself as Joshua shrugged but then changed the subject. "Are you hungry, Liz? I can get you something if you like. I think there's still some cake."

Cake? Melissa could barely suppress a grin but at the same time it reminded her why she was here in the first place. She had a mystery to solve but how could she get to the subject without raising suspicion? She nodded, not because she was hungry but hoping to stall for some time to think. Joshua got up at once and hurried away but his absence did not have the desired result.

"So, if you come from so far away" the tall redhead started "does that mean you are travelling? Or are you and your friend looking for a place to settle down?"

No time to think of a plan then. Melissa shrugged, once again lost for words.

"But if you are travelling around, how do you get by?" one of the girls asked. "Where do you get food and all of that?"

She took a deep breath and gave her that lopsided smile she had picked up from Pitch. "I'm a pretty good hunter. I know how to survive in the wilds. My father has taught me all about it."

"Wow" a much younger boy gasped with sparkling eyes. "Have you ever hunted Buffalo? I heard there's herds of them a bit further to the west beyond the mountains. My Dad says they are huge." The boy used his hands and arms to better describe the large, bulky creature.

"I don't know what a Buffalo is" Liz admitted, looking a bit embarrassed. "I can hunt deer and rabbits and such. But if that animal really is as big as you say, I seriously doubt that I would be able to eat it all by myself."

The other children laughed along with her. The tall boy gave the younger one, who had brought up the Buffalo a slight headbutt for asking such a stupid question which resulted in more laughter and jests. This at least gave Liz a moment to contemplate her course of action. She had to take the lead here and start asking questions herself but just then Joshua came back with a small crockery plate in one hand and an earthen mug in the other.

"Hope you are hungry" he said cheerfully and held both out to the strange girl. Liz took them and found the plate laden with several small pieces of bakery. One of them looked oddly familiar. The mug held milk and she noticed that it was quite warm, as if it had been standing close to one of the fires. Greatful for the distraction, she tried a morsel of cake and had to admit that it was good. Nothing compared to what her mother had been able to make, but still nice.

"Try this one" Joshua encouraged her as he pointed at the slice of dark pastry that Melissa had already recognized as the one her new friend had raided the night before. "It's delicious! My Mom made it."

The girl nodded and tried to smile through her full mouth. More laughter erupted around her when one of the girls made a teasing remark about Joshua and his pantry adventures. It was only the first of many and Melissa had to realize that not only the boy's crime and punishment, but also his nightmare were already common knowledge and a source of amusement for his friends. Joshua's ears turned bright red but he endured the jokes at his expense with a rather embarrassed grin.

Melissa felt a bit sorry for him, but had to admit that she welcomed the distraction from her own person. It finally gave her the time she needed to come up with some sort of plan and when the giggles finally began to quiet down she sat up a bit straighter and cleared her throat.

"I was wondering" she started. "What exactly are you celebrating? And why are you doing it in the night?"

All eyes turned back to her and then to the tall boy with the red hair who nodded and put on a face of importance. He held up his index finger in a manner that reminded her very much of Pitch when he was about to lecture her.

"Well, we are sort of having more than one reason to celebrate" the redhead started. "Our village is being officially renamed. It used to be Tanglewood but as of today its name is Burgess - after the first settler Thaddeus Burgess, who is actually an ancestor of Mr. Sweettooth over there."

Joshua's ears and cheeks turned even redder but this time with pride as he nodded. "My Dad's the mayor here _and_ a Burgess and I will carry on the name!"

"If he ever finds a girl willing to marry him" someone whispered and there were a few more snickers that Joshua didn't even seem to hear. He was still grinning and puffing his chest as if he was the king of the world.

"That is a really good reason to celebrate" Melissa agreed. "But you said there were two..."

The redhead nodded but his grin disappeared almost instantly. He suddenly looked very serious and as if the other children could sense it, the chatter, giggles and whispers stopped and their smiles were replaced by strange grim expressions. In fact, the entire atmosphere changed, it seemed to grow darker and more dreary around the fire, as if they were getting ready to hear the most scary ghost-story.

Melissa looked around in surprise but could not quite shake off the goosebumps that seemed to be crawling up her arms and made her neck prickle. She had tried to get herself into a position to ask questions in order to find an opportunity to ask about that Boogeyman, but now she wondered if she had asked about something forbidden. It had seemed like such a sensible and harmless question a minute ago, but now...

 _What it this about now? What is going on?_

"Not so long ago" the tall boy started with his voice quite low and solemn, "strange things happened here. Our village was invaded by terrible creatures like living shadows. I know it sounds crazy but we all saw them at least once. But only a few of us ever saw the creature that led them - I was one of those - a strange man in a black cloak who could grow as large as a mountain. He and those shadows would come in the night and with them came the most terrible nightmares. We were all afraid, even the grown ups. It was an awful and scary time."

Melissa was all ears now. She knew of course what the boy was talking about but Pitch had only reluctantly told her about his first encounter with humans. Now however, she had an opportunity to hear the story from their point of view.

"What happened then?" she asked, eager to hear more.

The redhead shrugged and seemed even a little embarrassed. "Nothing much really" he admitted then. "They came every night for almost a month, and then... well... they stopped. We think that they might have lost interest in us, but we still were afraid for a long time. Now however, we decided to celebrate at night with many fires to chase the darkness away and to show the Boogeyman that we are no longer afraid of him!"

A grin had gradually spread over his freckled face and with his last words, he slapped his right fist into his left palm with determination. His friends nodded and their proud smiles quickly brightened the mood around the small fire.

"The Boogeyman" Melissa mumbled. She had been wondering how to ask about him, and now she didn't even need to. That boy had answered her question with his little story but she wondered how Pitch would take the news. Now that she knew it was just so obvious! Perhaps he had already figured it out himself and only sent her here to get confirmation.

"That's what we call him" said Joshua through a mouth full of cake and when the girl looked at her plate, she noticed that most of the pastries had disappeared without her noticing. She raised an eyebrow at the pudgy boy next to her but he simply swallowed and rambled on.

"We don't know his real name, you see... so we had to make one up. We had quite a few ideas but most of them were as scary as him. Then mother said, we should choose a name that would make us less afraid. A funny name of sorts..."

"Funny?" Melissa asked with a smirk. "Boogeyman sounds more like an insult to me."

A few children giggled and one of the girls nodded. "It's true. We first used that name mostly to mock him and the more we did, the less we feared him and now that's what everyone here calls him."

Liz nodded, understanding what they meant but she was really not sure how much of those news she should actually pass on to Pitch. Would he not be furious if he heard this? They called him the Boogeyman to mock him and celebrated to defy him. As much as he had changed over the last months, he would not like this.

"Are you afraid, Melissa?" Joshua asked. "You look so worried."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to scare you!" the redhead apologized cincerely but the girl quickly found her smile again.

"That's not it. I was just wondering what that Boogeyman would say if he knew about his nickname" she admitted. A few of the children giggled rather nervously.

"Neither he nor those living shadows have been seen ever since" the redhead shrugged. "Why would he come back now? And how should he ever find out what we call him?"

His statement sounded reasonable but Melissa could barely suppress another smirk, knowing that Pitch was just up the hill waiting for her. Her thoughts were however interupted by Joshua's shaky voice.

"He was here only last night." His voice was low but Liz was not the only one who heard him. The girl to his right let out a snort. "That was not the Boogeyman! That was your guilty conscience and probably a bellyache because you had too much cake."

Melissa would have very much liked to correct her but the laughter all around prevented her from doing someting so reckless. The noise also made a few of the adults look around and a minute later one of them. A woman with curly auburn hair that was mostly hidden beneath a heavy purple bonnet approached the group of merry young ones. Her cheeks were very red and the way she walked told them that she was quite a bit tipsy.

She looked around their bright faces with a smile and did not even give Melissa a second glance. Instead she looked down to the smallest one, who had fallen asleep with his head on his sisters lap. "Time for bed, you two" she said with a fond smile but her voice was a bit slurry. The girl got up with a rather sad smile, wished her friends a good night, picked up her little brother and walked away, following her mother to their house.

A few of her friends waved after her and then looked around and shrugged. "Guess that's it for the night" another girl said. And as if she had uttered a magic spell her own mother showed up and ushered her away. Other parents followed her example and soon only Joshua, Melissa and the redhead remained.

"I think I should get going before your parents notice me" the girl said and looked at her new friends in turn. Joshua nodded and yawned but the redhead looked a bit confused.

"What would be so bad about them noticing you?" he asked and Melissa's ears instantly turned pink. She realized that she was beginning to feel way to comfortable around those kids and was letting her guard down. But she had to come up with an explanation right now.

"Well..." she started nervously and then shrugged. "They will probably wonder where I came from, what I'm doing here and all that. And I'm honestly a bit too tired now for another interrogation." She managed a lopsided smile and faked a yawn herself. It was close enough to the truth for her liking and both boys seemed to agree with her.

"If you want to get out of here without being seen, I'd recommend that way" the ginger advised and pointed straight ahead, to Melissa's right. It was the shortest way out of the village, but a detour to where she wanted to go. She nodded anyway. This way she would not have to cross the village square, also the night seemed to be darker there and she could see the outline of a large shed or barn that she could use for cover.

The girl looked to her new friends and then around to the adults. The fires were not burning as brightly as they had when she arrived and people seemed to be getting ready to turn in. It was time. She nodded to Joshua and his friend and wished them a good night before sneaking away from the fire and into the darkness beyond. But just then she hesitated for a moment, grinnned to herself and turned around.

"Joshua!" she called softly. Both boys were still looking her way and now they cocked their heads curiously.

"It wasn't your guilty conscience" she said only just loud enough for them to hear. "But it will warn you, when you are about to do something you should not. Listen to it, or my friend the Boogeyman will think of something worse than cake monsters to get you back in line." With another mischievous grin, she waved and was swallowed by the night a moment later.

The boys exchanged a look of confusion. "Did you tell her about my nightmare?" Joshua asked nervously. His friend shook his head. "Not in detail" he muttered, gnawing on his lower lip. "She really shouldn't have known about your cake monsters." Both of them remained quiet for a long time after, wondering about the strange girl and her mysterious friend.

Melissa made her way carefully through the darkness, more wary to feel her way forward than worrying about being seen. The building she had noticed before was a barn, she could smell the animals inside and heard faint rustling noises when they moved. She followed the long wooden wall to the end of the barn and looked around, trying to pierce the darkness with her eyes. It would probably take her a while to find those bushes where she had left her friend.

She took a step forward and nearly shrieked when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She whirled around while her hands instinctively searched for her dagger - which she had left back in the caves.

"Calm down, Liz. It's me!" a familiar voice told her and she nearly fainted with relief.

"Pitch" she breathed. "Don't scare me like that!" She looked up and saw his bright eyes reflecting what little light there was. The girl could almost feel him smirk down at her, amused about having caught her off guard. "What are you doing here?" she asked then.

She could barely make out his shrug in the darkness. "You were gone for a while" he told her. "I got bored and thought I'd take a closer look."

Melissa could tell that he was holding something back. He did sound a bit evasive but she simply nodded and smiled. "It was nice though" she admitted "And I have completed the mission too" she added with a bright grin.

"Let's go home then" the Nightmare King suggested and instead of a reply, the girl stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight. A moment later she was greeted by the flicker of blue fires and she took a deep and relieved breath. No matter how nice it had been to spend some time with other children, it was good to be home again.

Pitch sat down on a workbench and watched Melissa expectantly as she approached and sat down across from him. He wanted to know what she had learned - that much was clear and to be expected but the girl was not so sure how to deliver the information. Not that she was at a loss for words, but she had not the slightest idea how her friend would take the news.

He might shrug it off and be relieved that there was no competition or he might throw a tantrum because of the name he had been given - anything was possible. She looked up at him carefully, trying to find out what kind of mood he was in. He smiled but she could see that he was nervous. His smile was a bit hard around the edges, a slight twitch of an eye and the way he could not keep his feet still were telling enough.

"Well" she said slowly. "I think I have good and bad news. The good thing is that there is no one else giving out bad dreams, so scratch the competition. The job is yours."

The Nightmare King's face lit up at this and the let out the breath he had been holding. "These _are_ good news indeed. But if there is no one else, who is this Boogeyman?"

Melissa grimaced and sighed deeply before answering "That would be the bad news. You are."


End file.
